Norwich City chairman Ed Balls to dance with new Russian dancer on Strictly Come Dancing
Ed Balls and Katya Jones on the new series of Strictly Come Dancing. Guy Levy/BBC/PA Wire - Credit: PA
Norwich City chairman Ed Balls will be strutting his stuff with a 'fierce and fabulous' new Russian dancer, Daisy Lowe cha-cha-chaing with previous victor Aljaz Skorjanec and Laura Whitmore with newly single Giovanni Pernice in the new series of Strictly Come Dancing.
The celebrities and dancers discovered who they are paired with as Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman kicked off the ballroom dancing show on Saturday night.
The launch saw the 15 celebrities step on to the Strictly dance floor for the first time.
Irish presenter Whitmore's Strictly partner, Italian dancer Pernice, has just come out of a relationship with Georgia May Foote - the actress recently announced their split on Twitter.
Foote and Pernice met when they were partnered on the dancing show in 2015.
You may also want to watch:
Former shadow chancellor Balls is partnered up with Katya Jones, a young Russian dancer who is new to this year's show and describes herself as 'intense, fierce and fabulous'.
Model Lowe is with Skorjanec, who won Strictly with model Abbey Clancy in 2013.
Most Read
- 1 A47 closed in both directions after crash
- 2 Part of seventh skeleton discovered in city street
- 3 Covid rips through care homes again with deaths almost doubling in a week
- 4 Woman in her 20s among 31 Covid patients to die in five days at hospital
- 5 Hotel 'nobody wants to buy' for sale as housing for £365,000
- 6 Armed police detain man after 18 hours of negotiations
- 7 'I am heartbroken' - Woman's two cats killed by 'reckless' drivers
- 8 Road through village closed by floodwater
- 9 13 cars targeted in tyre-slashing spree
- 10 Coronavirus outbreak at construction company working on County Hall
Brendan Cole, who has been on Strictly since the first series, will be waltzing his way on to the dance floor with US singer Anastacia while Anton du Beke, who has also been there since the beginning, is with Birds Of A Feather actress Lesley Joseph.
The other pairings are Louise Redknapp and Kevin Clifton and BBC Breakfast presenter Naga Munchetty and Pasha Kovalev, who is in a relationship with Rachel Riley after meeting her on the BBC One show.
TV star Judge Rinder is with Oksana Platero and Olympic gymnast Claudia Fragapane with fellow new Strictly pro dancer AJ Pritchard.
The other pairings are singer Will Young and Karen Clifton, Olympic athlete Greg Rutherford with Natalie Lowe, Hollyoaks hunk Danny Mac is with Oti Mabuse, former Xtra Factor presenter Melvin Odoom is with Janette Manrara, sports presenter Ore Oduba is with Joanne Clifton, and actress Tameka Empson with Gorka Marquez.
Saturday night's pre-recorded show, with judges Len Goodman, Bruno Tonioli, Darcey Bussell and Craig Revel Horwood, also featured performances from Olly Murs and Rebecca Ferguson.