‘Strictly Come Dancing’ has unveiled the first three celebs for the 2023 Christmas Special.
Competing this year will be broadcaster Dan Snow, BBC Presenter Sally Nugent and ‘EastEnders’ actor Jamie Borthwick. The three celebs make up half of this year’s festive line-up, which will see six couples competing in the ‘Strictly’ ballrooom.
Dan Snow will be paired with Strictly Come Dancing professional dancer Nadiya Bychkova. He is a history broadcaster, best-selling author and entrepreneur. After 15 years working for the BBC, History Channel and Discovery, he founded History Hit in 2016, a digital history broadcaster and publisher. History Hit TV, his subscription on demand channel, won UK’s best Specialist Channel in 2023, while the multi award winning ‘Dan Snow’s History Hit’ podcast and the wider podcast network is listened to millions of times a month. Dan was part of the expedition to find Shackleton’s Endurance shipwreck in Antarctica in 2022 and is always on the hunt for new historical discoveries.
Snow said: “I am absolutely terrified about hitting the dance floor. But I love getting out of my comfort zone and I’ve always wanted to learn how to dance properly. So I thought it was now or never!”
Sally Nugent will be paired with Graziano Di Prima. Sally presents BBC Breakfast on BBC One and she has covered some of the biggest news and sport stories of the last 20 years. Recently she is best known for working with former sports stars who have been diagnosed with motor neurone disease.
Nugent said: “I am thrilled and slightly terrified to be taking part in this year’s ‘Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special’. I’m hoping the judges will be kind – and filled with Christmas spirit. And I hope everyone watching at home will enjoy a little bit of Strictly magic on Christmas night.”
Actor Jamie Borthwick was revealed as the third Christmas celebrity and he will be paired with Nancy Xu. Borthwick is best known for playing Jay Brown in the BBC’s flagship continuing drama ‘EastEnders’. He has won a British Soap Award for “Best Dramatic Performance from a Young Actor or Actress”, an Inside Soap Award for “Best Actor” and has been nominated for various other TV accolades. Borthwick has played Jay for over 17 years in the iconic TV series.
Borthwick said: “I am so excited to be joining the cast of this years’ ‘Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special’. From Walford to a Waltz, I can’t wait to learn a new skill and put my dancing to the test. I’m hoping to spread Christmas cheer and have a good laugh with my professional dancer…get me on that dancefloor!”
Each of the six couples will perform a festive fuelled routine with the hope of impressing the judges, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke, Head Judge Shirley Ballas, and the voting studio audience.
The remaining Christmas line-up will be announced on It Takes Two on Thursday 23rd November.
‘Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special’ will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Christmas Day.
