09 August 2023 , 07:54
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Strictly Come Dancing has signed up EastEnders newcomer Bobby Brazier for the 2023 line-up, the show has confirmed. The son of TV presenter Jeff Brazier and late Big Brother star Jade Goody will follow in the footsteps of his soap co-stars in the move.
The actor and model debuted on the BBC soap last year in the role of Freddie Slater, the son of Little Mo Slater. He's proven a hit with viewers, recently being at the centre of an emotional storyline about his parentage. Now, it's been revealed Freddie actor Bobby will don the glitter and sequins and head to the dancefloor as the show's twelfth celebrity. The BBC show announced the signing on Wednesday's BBC Breakfast.
Bobby, 20, said: "I’m so excited to be part of the Strictly line up, I can’t wait to start training like a professional dancer and adding a few moves to my locker. I'm looking forward to performing in front of everyone, it's going to be so much fun!"
Strictly Come Dancing has signed up EastEnders newcomer Bobby Brazier for the 2023 line-upAppearing live from the EastEnders set on Wednesday morning during BBC Breakfast, Bobby added of joining Strictly: "I'm good, I'm excited, I've never done live [TV] before, so I'm a little bit nervous but I'm happy!" He added: "I love to dance, to perform live will be scary I think, daunting, but exciting."
Bobby insisted he doesn't have any prior dancing experience, he joked: "I just like to party! House and disco [music], I've got good rhythm when it comes to finding the one, two, three and four [beats]." The star added that he has told everyone the news, including his family.
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The actor continued: "People keep telling me as far as EastEnders and Strictly go, everyone who has done Strictly, from EastEnders, has done pretty well. So people are saying: 'Do you feel pressure?' But no, I don't. People have just said be yourself and enjoy dancing."
Elsewhere on Wednesday's BBC Breakfast, fellow soap star Ellie Leach was announced to be joining Strictly also. Ellie, 22, is best known for portraying Faye Windass for 12 years on Coronation Street. The soap star first joined the hit ITV soap in 2011 but left the cobbles in May 2023 after a slew of explosive storylines for her character.
Talking about taking part, Ellie, whose cousin is fellow former Corrie star Brooke Vincent, said: "It still doesn’t feel real that I’m going to be doing Strictly!! It’s always been a dream of mine so I guess dreams really do come true!!!!" The soap star added on BBC Breakfast that she was starting to get "nervous" now as the competition start date nears.
Strictly Come Dancing has confirmed the tenth contestant taking part in the 2023 series of the BBC show is Ellie Leach (BBC)World and Paralympic Champion Jody Cundy, 44, was also announced for Strictly on Wednesday. The news was revealed live on BBC Radio 5 Live. Jody said of taking part: "Excited to be welcomed into the Strictly family and throw myself head first into the world of ballroom dancing.
"So far away from what I’m used to, but I’m looking forward to the challenge and pushing myself way out of my comfort zone, especially as I’m always last onto the dance floor. Can’t wait to get stuck in, bring on the glitter and sequins!"
It follows the reveal of other big names taking part on the show this year, with another soap actor hitting the ballroom alongside Bobby. Emmerdale and Waterloo Road actor Adam Thomas was confirmed to be taking part on Tuesday.
It follows Monday's announcement that saw one Love Island star make show history. Zara McDermott was announced to be the first ever villa star to take part in the BBC series, after a 'ban' on Islanders taking part.
Her stint on the BBC show was announced on BBC Radio 1, where she joined the station's Going Home with Vick and Jordan show to share the exciting news. Speaking to hosts Vick Hope and Jamie Laing, Zara revealed she was "scared" but "excited" to take on something "so far out of her comfort zone". She said: "I've been rewatching last year's in detail, analysing everything, every dance.
"I'm scared, scared but excited. There is gonna be challenges with everything. I'm excited for the slower stuff. It's such a far cry from my day job… this is live, you cannot make a mistake. You get one take and one take only. This is so far out of my comfort zone."
It comes after Angela Scanlon, best known for hosting Your Home Made Perfect on BBC Two as well as for her work on The One Show and Robot Wars, was announced as the sixth celebrity to join the BBC show.
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Prior to this, Sherlock star Amanda Abbington, Angela Rippon and Layton Williams, were all confirmed during a bumper reveal on The One Show last week, with fans thrilled to see them taking part. Also on the bill are Nikita Kanda and comedian Eddie Kadi, while more names are set to be announced.