Who’s partnered with who in the Strictly Christmas Special?
The Strictly final is fast approaching and that means once this year’s champions have lifted the Glitterball trophy we’ll be treated to the Strictly Christmas Special. So who’s taking part?
1. Gorka fans will be over the moon to see him back for the Christmas special. He’ll be dancing with girlfriend, Gemma Atkinson, who made it all the way to the final in 2017 with partner Aljaz Skorjanec.
2. Joe Sugg will be partnered with his girlfriend, Dianne Buswell, who he danced with previously in 2018. As runners up, the couple just missed out on winning so perhaps they can snatch the Christmas title instead.
3. Chizzy Akudolu will be dancing with Graziano Di Prima, having previously competed with Pasha Kovalev in 2017.
4. Mark Wright, who partnered Karen Hauer in 2014 and made it all the way to the final coming fourth, will be dancing with Janette Manrara.
5. Funny man, Richard Arnold, will have another shot at the crown with Luba Mushtuk, having danced with Erin Boag in 2012.
6. Debbie McGee will partner up with Kevin Clifton, having made it all the way to the final in 2017 with Giovanni Pernice.
Can these former competitors bring the same calibre of dancing to their Christmas routines as we enjoyed before, or will Richard Arnold swoop in and take the coveted Christmas title from under their noses? We’ll just have to wait and see.
When’s the Strictly Christmas Special on?
The time has yet to be confirmed, but if you tune into BBC1 on Christmas Day in the early evening your festive celebrations will be complete with an ample helping of Strictly. Sticking with tradition, Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman will host and judges Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Bruno Tonioli will dish out lashings of constructive feedback.
Once the six couples have performed their dances the studio audience will vote and the champions will be crowned for another year. Past winners include Aston Merrygold, Katie Derham, Melvin Odoom, Harry Judd, Jill Halfpenny and John Barrowman.
The ultimate Christmas gift for Strictly fans
Looking for the perfect gift for a Strictly fan? Then why not make their Christmas truly memorable by treating them to this once in a lifetime opportunity to spend the weekend with Strictly pros Aljaz Skorjanec, Janette Manrara, Anton Du Beke, Erin Boag, Katya and Neil Jones, Karen Hauer, Gorka Marquez, Giovanni Pernice, Amy Dowden and Pasha Kovalev?
Our fabulous Weekend Breaks at Alton Towers Hotel & Spa, De Vere Beaumont Estate and Celtic Manor Resort in 2020 include workshops hosted by the pro dancers, as well as the chance to see them perform up close and personal. But that’s not all; you can also enjoy their fun Q&A sessions and Red Carpet Photo Calls, plus all the amazing facilities our 4* and 5* venues have to offer during your stay. So, that’s your Christmas present buying sorted!