Fourth celebrity contestant confirmed for this year’s Strictly Come Dancing

PA

Good Morning Britain presenter Ranvir Singh is the fourth celebrity to be officially confirmed for the new series of Strictly Come Dancing.

The journalist joins previously announced contestants singer Max George, Jonathan Creek actress Caroline Quentin and former NFL player Jason Bell.

And Olympic gold medallist boxer Nicola Adams is also apparently joining the show, with reports linking the athlete to being part of Strictly’s first-ever same-sex couple.

Ranvir Singh
Ranvir Singh

Singh, 43, said: “The initial feeling of being confirmed for Strictly is one of complete terror – feels like embarking on a rollercoaster, where you really want to do it but you are equally scared.

“Hopefully after the first dance I will feel exhilarated rather than sick!”

George, 31, Quentin, 60, and Bell, 42, were all unveiled on Tuesday’s The One Show. Multiple reports said Adams, 37, would also feature on Strictly and be paired with a female dancer for a show first.

Boxer Adams, who won gold at both the London 2012 Olympics and Rio 2016, is dating Ella Baig and has been praised as an LGBT role model. A BBC spokesman could not confirm Adams’ involvement on Strictly and said: “The rest of the line-up will be announced in due course.”

Nicola Adams
Nicola Adams

The show will be shorter this year because of precautions surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.

Bruno Tonioli will be missing from the judging panel for Saturday night shows when the series returns later this year because he is in Los Angeles, where he is on the panel for the US version of the show, Dancing With The Stars, and will not be able to travel back and forth.

However, he will be involved remotely in the Sunday night results show each week and will return to the show full-time towards the end of the series.

Shirley Ballas, Motsi Mabuse and Craig Revel Horwood are all expected to return to their judging roles.

The show would usually return at the end of September, with the final just before Christmas, but its 2020 launch is expected to be slightly delayed.

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