10 August 2023 , 08:40
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Strictly Come Dancing have announced Annabel Croft as the fourteenth star to take to the dancefloor.
Some huge names have been announced for the latest series, with a string of soap stars, TV presenters and a Paralympian set to take on the competition in the hope to lift the Glitterball trophy. Anton du Beke, Shirley Ballas, Motsi Mabuse and Craig Revel Horwood are all expected to return as judges, whilst the show will be hosted by Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman once more.
Today, the latest celebrity was announced for the BBC show and it looks like they're ready to rock the dancefloor. At 15-years-old, Annabel became the youngest British player to compete at Wimbledon for 95 years. Aside from her incredible tennis career, Annabel also fronted Treasure Hunt and is a regular pundit on the tennis for channels including BBC, Sky, Amazon Prime, ITV and Discovery.
Annabel Croft at Wimbledon in 1984 (Popperfoto/Getty Images)Speaking about her stint on the show, she said: "I have always loved watching Strictly and can’t quite believe I’m going to be part of this magical show – swapping tennis balls for glitter balls and looking forward to finding some joyfulness in the process."
EastEnders star Bobby Brazier was confirmed for the programme yesterday during an appearance on BBC Breakfast.
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"I'm so excited to be part of the Strictly line up, I can’t wait to start training like a professional dancer and adding a few moves to my locker. I'm looking forward to performing in-front of everyone, it's going to be so much fun!" he said, before adding: "I've never done live [TV] before, so I'm a little bit nervous but I'm happy! I love to dance, to perform live will be scary I think, daunting, but exciting."
Fresh from her Coronation Street exit, Ellie Leach - who played Faye Windass - will be waltzing on the dancefloor.
Talking about taking part, she said: "It still doesn’t feel real that I’m going to be doing Strictly!! It’s always been a dream of mine so I guess dreams really do come true! I'm so excited, I'm getting a bit nervous now it's getting nearer to the time, but yeah, so excited! I'm the type of person if someone says, 'Don't say anything!', I'm like, 'Okay!' I'm so trustworthy!"
We also have a former Emmerdale star taking to the dancefloor, as Adam Thomas - who also stars in Waterloo Road - has signed up for the BBC dancing show. He said he was "buzzing" to learn the routines as he "can't dance to save his life".
"I am so excited to be joining the cast of this years' Strictly Come Dancing. I've been such a big fan of the show for years, I can't believe I'm actually doing it! I can't dance to save my life but I'm buzzing to learn and have a good laugh with my pro. Get me on that dance floor... I can't wait!" he shared of his stint on the BBC Latin and ballroom show.