Once the current season of Strictly Come Dancing ends, fans have a one-off Christmas spectacular to look forward to.
Once the main series finishes in mid-December, fans won't have to wait long for the festive special which airs on Christmas Day (December 25). Six celebrities and their professional dance partners will be battling it out to impress judges Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke, head judge Shirley Ballas - and the voting studio audience.
But only one couple will emerge the Christmas stars of the evening, and lift the sought-after Christmas trophy. On Wednesday night's It Takes Two (November 22), the first three famous faces were revealed as Broadcaster Dan Snow, BBC Breakfast host Sally Nugent and EastEnders star Jamie Borthwick.
And on Thursday night's programme (November 23), children's TV presenter Tillie Amartey, rugby star Danny Cipriani and Sugababes icon Keisha Buchanan were confirmed as the final three taking part in the special show.
Read on to find out who they've been partnered with and how they feel about participating in the festive edition of Strictly.
Tillie Amartey
Actress Tillie Amartey will be paired with Strictly Come Dancing professional dancer Neil Jones.
She will also be hitting our screens in January 2024 as Stace Neville in BBC One’s hit series Waterloo Road. Tillie’s acting career has seen her appear on CBBC’s popular show Almost Never, Channel 5’s four-part drama The Teacher alongside Sheridan Smith, and her most intense performance to date: Marnie in Jimmy McGovern’s Moving On.
Tillie is also known for her flair for presenting and has fronted shows on both CITV and CBBC. Most recently, she was a co-host on CBBC’s Love! Love! Love!, celebrating trends across music, pop and celebrity culture.
Tillie said: “My family have been avid fans of Strictly since forever so no pressure! The nerves are real, but I am SUPER excited to bring some much-needed joy to the telly while I shimmy and sparkle my two left feet through the Christmas special!”
Danny Cipriani
Danny Cipriani will be paired with pro dancer Jowita Przystał for this year's Christmas special. Danny is a former England International and current professional Rugby Union player.
He most recently played for Premiership Rugby side Bath and previously played for Gloucester, Sale Sharks and Wasps in the Premiership and Melbourne Rebels in Super Rugby.
Danny said: “I’ve always enjoyed the concept of Strictly Come Dancing, it wasn’t something I ever thought I’d do. After addressing my own ideas and beliefs, I am very much looking forward to expressing myself through dance with no limitations.
"Strictly brings joy to everyone’s living rooms, being a part of that for Christmas Day will be special.”
Keisha Buchanan
The sixth and final celebrity revealed was singer-songwriter Keisha Buchanan. She has been paired with Strictly pro Gorka Márquez.
Keisha is a founding member of the platinum-selling, critically acclaimed girl group the Sugababes. Having sold out the O2 for their 'One night only show', the group have just released their new hit single When the Rain Comes and have been crowned the Music Week Women in Music Awards 2023 Inspirational Artist of the year.
Touring the country hasn't stopped Keisha jumping at the chance of appearing in this years’ Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special.
Dan Snow
Dan Snow is best known for his history programmes such as Battlefield Britain and his online history channel and podcast site History Hit. He will team up with professional dancer Nadiya Bychkova for the festive special.
The 44-year-old admitted he is "absolutely terrified" about taking to the dancefloor but said he has always wanted to learn how to dance and thought this was a "now or never" opportunity.
Sally Nugent
Sally Nugent, 52, has co-presented on BBC Breakfast over the last 20 years, becoming a permanent fixture in 2021. For the special. She will swap the famous red sofa for the dancefloor, where she will be paired with Italian dancer Graziano Di Prima.
She said: "I am thrilled and slightly terrified to be taking part in this year’s Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special. I’m hoping the judges will be kind and filled with Christmas spirit. And I hope everyone watching at home will enjoy a little bit of Strictly magic on Christmas night."
Jamie Borthwick
Jamie Borthwick will also be taking part in the festive episode, paired with dancer Nancy Xu. The 29-year-old actor has starred as Jay Brown in the BBC soap for more than 17 years, picking up a number of awards for his performance.
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He said he was "so excited" to join this year’s line-up as he hopes to "spread Christmas cheer" and have a "good laugh" with his professional partner. "From Walford to a Waltz, I can’t wait to learn a new skill and put my dancing to the test," he added.
