Edwina Currie, Jason Donovan, Nancy Dell'Olio, Rory Bremner, Lulu, Robbie Savage and Holly Valance all taking to the floor
With seven years of practice, the BBC has its Strictly Come Dancing routine off pat: a few steps from a soap actor, a twirl or two from a pop star, some fancy footwork from a sportsman and a dramatic entrance from the political clown.
And this year's Strictly lineup, revealed on Tuesday, does not put a foot wrong. Edwina Currie takes the former Tory battleaxe role, filled last year by Ann Widdecombe.
Fellow contestants for the BBC1 show, which starts on Saturday, include Jason Donovan, Lulu and Rory Bremner.
Also appearing will be sportsmen Robbie Savage and Audley Harrison, plus lawyer and sequin-lover Nancy Dell'Olio, who came to public attention as the former partner of Sven-G�ran Eriksson.
Russell Grant will line up too, becoming Strictly's first ever dancing astrologer. Viewers should presumably prepare themselves for an onslaught of jokes about predictable results.
Currie is no stranger to reality TV ? she appeared on Channel 4's Celebrity Wife Swap, where she furiously waited hand and foot on an underpants-clad John McCririck.
Donovan, a singer and former Neighbours actor, finished third in I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here in 2006. A second ex-Neighbours star, Holly Valance, will also take the floor.
Anita Dobson, who memorably played Angie in EastEnders, will be hoping to emulate Pamela Stephenson Connolly, who last year broke the rule that Strictly audiences would never back an older woman and finished third.
Viewers do tend to give sports stars an easier ride, regardless of their competence when it comes to performing ? Joe Calzaghe lasted until week five in 2009 despite dancing that judge Len Goodman said "only a mother could love". Footballer Savage and boxer Harrison can also look to cricketer Darren Gough, the 2005 winner, for inspiration.
TV presenters Daniel Lobb and Alex Jones, from Daybreak and The One Show, are also competing. The dancing competition has traditionally proved kind to familiar faces from news and magazine programmes ? Natasha Kaplinsky (2004) and Chris Hollins (2009) both won the title while working for BBC Breakfast.
The youngest contestants will be Chelsee Healey, 23, who plays Janeece Bryant in BBC1 series Waterloo Road, and Harry Judd, 25, the drummer with the band McFly.
Bruce Forsyth and Tess Daly return as hosts while judge Alesha Dixon is back for a third series with Len Goodman, Craig Revel Horwood and Bruno Tonioli.
Strictly fills the Saturday night pre-Doctor Who slot, avoiding a clash with The X Factor on ITV1 which, despite new judges, has had a strong start in the ratings.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/2011/sep/06/strictly-come-dancing-2011-contestants
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