Strictly Come Dancing has announced soap star Adam Thomas and radio host Nikita Kanda as the eighth and ninth celebrity contestants joining the 2023 line-up.
Adam, 34, is best known for portraying Adam Barton in ITV's Emmerdale, as well as for his role as Donte Charles in BBC One's Waterloo Road. Meanwhile, Nikita is the current host of the BBC Asian Network’s Breakfast show.
On signing up for the 2023 series, Adam said: "I am so excited to be joining the cast of this year's Strictly Come Dancing. I've been such a big fan of the show for years, I can't believe I'm actually doing it!
He admitted: "I can't dance to save my life but I'm buzzing to learn and have a good laugh with my pro. Get me on that dance floor... I can't wait!"
© BBCViewers may also recognise Adam for his appearance in the 2016 series of ITV's I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here, in which he placed third. He then went on to co-host the spin-off series, I'm a Celebrity: Extra Camp.
Nikita, who regularly appears as a reporter on The One Show, said of joining the show: "I can’t believe I’m going to be on Strictly. This is a dream come true. I’m still pinching myself. I don’t think it will properly sink in until I step onto the dancefloor. I can’t wait to get glammed up and get out there. Throw the glitter on me!"
© BBCThe 2023 line-up is shaping up to be a great one, with the likes of Channel 4 News presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy and actress Amanda Abbington already confirmed.
Also taking part are presenter and newsreader Angela Rippon, film and theatre actor Layton Williams, radio presenter Eddie Kadi, presenter Angela Scanlon and former Love Island star Zara McDermott.
Speaking about singing up for the show, Krishnan said: "I'm surprised, delighted and slightly confused to find myself taking part in Strictly on the basis of 'you only live once!'
READ: Strictly Come Dancing 2023: All you need to know – judges, line-up, start date, and more
"I can't wait to start learning to dance, but I am slightly worried about my general decrepitude," he said.
© Tom Nicholson/ShutterstockMeanwhile, Angela Scanlon admitted that she is "terrified" but "excited". She said in a statement: "I have so many questions. Will they make me tan? How itchy are sequins?! Do they do flesh-coloured sports bras? Well - there’s only one way to find out, right!? Now I’m panicking a bit... but also secretly thrilled about the prospect of all that glitter. Let’s go!"
Every Strictly Come Dancing winner so far
- 2004: Natisha Kaplinsky (partner Brendan Cole)
- 2004: Jill Halfpenny (partner Darren Bennett)
- 2005: Darren Gough (partner Lilia Kopylova)
- 2006: Mark Ramprakash (partner Karen Hardy)
- 2007: Alesha Dixon (partner Matthew Cutler)
- 2008: Tom Chambers (partner Camilla Dallerup)
- 2009: Chris Hollins (partner Ola Jordan)
- 2010: Kara Tointon (partner Artem Chigvintsev)
- 2011: Harry Judd (partner Aliona Vilani)
- 2012: Louis Smith (partner Flavia Cacace)
- 2013: Abbey Clancy (partner Aljaž Škorjanec)
- 2014: Caroline Flack (partner Pasha Kovalev)
- 2015: Jay McGuiness (partner Aliona Vilani)
- 2016: Ore Oduba (partner Joanne Clifton)
- 2017: Joe McFadden (partner Katya Jones)
- 2018: Stacey Dooley (partner Kevin Clifton)
- 2019: Kelvin Fletcher (partner Oti Mabuse)
- 2020: Bill Bailey (partner Oti Mabuse)
- 2021: Rose Ayling-Ellis (partner Giovanni Pernice)
- 2022: Hamza Yassin (partner Jowita Przystał)
Zara added: "I am so excited to be joining the world of Strictly! I grew up watching it every year with my nan and she was the biggest Strictly fan.
© BBC"We would dance around the house and I have such fond memories of that time in my life. I even remember the first-ever series, and being mesmerised by all the beautiful dresses! I can’t wait to throw myself into this experience and start training. It’s going to be incredible."
