Strictly Come Dancing fans have been given their first glimpse of the first live show, as the twelve couples’ songs and dances have been revealed.
Leading the pack is Made In Chelsea star Jamie Laing who will finally make his ballroom debut after being forced to pull out of the show last year, with a Cha Cha to the viral Eurovision hit Think About Things by the Icelandic hitmaker Daði Freyr.
Boxer Nicola Adams – who has already made history by being part of Strictly’s first ever same-sex pairing, will face a huge challenge in the form of her first dance, as she takes to the floor with Katya Jones to perform a high-speed Quickstep.
Exciting: Strictly Come Dancing’s Jamie Laing is set to perform a Cha Cha to the Eurovision hit Think About Things, as the couples’ first songs and dances have been revealed
Jamie will take to the floor for his first performance with professional partner Karen Hauer, after this years pairings were finally revealed during a glitzy launch show last week.
Think About Things was originally chosen as the Iceland’s track to compete in this year’s Eurovision, but the contest was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
However the song became a viral hit and sparked a slew of TikTok challenges, and had been tipped as one of the favourites to win should the contest have taken place.
Energetic: Meanwhile Nicola Adams will join forces with Katya Jones to dance the Quickstep to the big-band hit Get Happy by Ella Fitzgerald
Fun: Maisie Smith and Gorka Marquez (L) will do the Samba to Gloria Estefan’s Samba, and Jason Bell and Luba Mushtuk (R) will dance an American Smooth to My Girl by The Temptations
Hilarious: Bill Bailey and Oti Mabuse will hope to set the dancefloor alight with a Cha Cha to Pata Pata by Miriam Makeba
Energetic: HRVY and Janette Manrara are set to perform a Jive to Faith by Stevie Wonder feat. Ariana Grande
Meanwhile Nicola will join forces with Katya to dance the Quickstep to the big-band hit Get Happy by Ella Fitzgerald.
The pair have already been hailed as ‘trailblazers’ by viewers, with Katya gushing to the Radio Times that she and Nicola are going to be ‘a powerhouse’ together.
Caroline Quentin and Johannes Radebe are set to perform an elegant American Smooth to 9 to 5 (Morning Train) by Sheena Easton.
Jacqui Smith and Anton Du Beke will also be starting their Strictly journey in the ballroom, with a Foxtrot to Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life by Monty Python.
Clara Amfo and Aljaž Škorjanec will also be dancing the Cha Cha to Don’t Start Now by Dua Lipa, while Maisie Smith and Gorka Marquez will bring the party to the dancefloor with a Samba to Samba by Gloria Estefan.
Ranvir Singh and Giovanni Pernice will add some spice and passion to the show with a Paso Doble to End Of Time by Beyoncé, Jason Bell and Luba Mushtuk will be dancing an American Smooth to My Girl by The Temptations.
Bill Bailey and Oti Mabuse will dance a Cha Cha to Pata Pata by Miriam Makeba, while HRVY and Janette Manrara are set to perform a Jive to Faith by Stevie Wonder feat. Ariana Grande.
Rounding out the debut performances are JJ Chalmers and Amy Dowden, who will dance a Waltz to What A Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong, and Max George and Dianne Buswell who will perform a Tango to Best Fake Smile by James Bay.
The twelve competing couples will take to the floor in the first live show on Saturday, and will be scored by judges Craig Revel-Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Shirley Ballas.
Fourth judge Bruno Tonioli was unable to travel back to the UK from his home in LA for the filming due to the Covid-19 crisis and his work commitments on Dancing With The Stars.
Also during the show, presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman were reunited with the pair ensuring they stood at least two metres apart throughout the episode.
While 2019 winner Kelvin Fletcher returned to the dance floor with former professional partner Oti to perform a socially-distanced routine.
Dancing: Caroline Quentin and Johannes Radebe are dancing the American Smooth to Sheena Easton’s 9 to 5 (L) and Ranvir Singh and Giovanni Pernice will do a Paso Doble to Beyonce’s End Of Time
Gorgeous: Jacqui Smith and Anton Du Beke will dance a Foxtrot to Monty Python’s Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life
Sizzling: Max George and Dianne Buswell will perform a Tango to Best Fake Smile by James Bay during the first live show on Saturday
Coming soon: Clara Amfo and Aljaž Škorjanec will also be dancing the Cha Cha to Don’t Start Now by Dua Lipa
Already the BBC favourite has seen its highest ratings in three years, after finally making it to screens after months of uncertainly sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Viewing figures averaged at 8.6 million and it is the show’s highest ratings since 2017.
This year’s couples have formed their own separate ‘bubbles’ to allow them to train and perform, and are being regularly tested to avoid a virus outbreak during filming.
The show will continue to have a live audience, though members of the public will be seated in their separate households or ‘bubbles’ and will wear a mask throughout filming.
Strictly Come Dancing airs on Saturday at 7:25pm on BBC One.
Suave: JJ Chalmers and Amy Dowden round out this year’s couples, and they’ll dance the Waltz to What A Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong