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Strictly Come Dancing reveals its newest star

Photo credit: ITV - Getty Images
Photo credit: ITV - Getty Images

From Digital Spy

Strictly Come Dancing is coming close to completing its full 2018 line-up with yet another celebrity being unveiled by the BBC.

Hours after Blue singer and former EastEnders actor Lee Ryan was confirmed on Loose Women earlier on Monday (August 20), Matt Baker and Alex Jones got to share yet more exciting news on The One Show.

The presenting duo and their guest Sir Lenny Henry were joined on The One Show's brightly coloured couches by Paralympian Lauren Steadman, who was officially unveiled as the 13th star to join Strictly Come Dancing 2018. Lauren admitted she'd yet to tell her family.

"I think it's a tie [for who'll be most surprised] between my sister and my great grandma," she revealed. "I think my sister is going to be over the moon!"

While Lauren said that she's had no prior ballroom dance experience, the Paralympian has taken some salsa courses in the past that might prove handy.

"My housemate is Colombian, so it just comes together with that. We went to a couple of lessons four or five years ago... I've got the basics," she explained. "It might get me somewhere on the show."

The pressure is most definitely on for the 25-year-old swimmer and paratriathlete because she has the world championships only a few days before the first Strictly live show.

"[I'm] pretty stressed. Pretty nervous," she admitted. "I've got two big things going on."

Both Lauren and Lee Ryan will be rounding out a line-up that includes Ashley Roberts and Faye Tozer from pop groups the Pussycat Dolls and Steps respectively, actor Danny John-Jules, cricketer Graeme Swann and YouTuber Joe Sugg.

Photo credit: ITV/Digtitalspy.com/VA - Getty Images
Photo credit: ITV/Digtitalspy.com/VA - Getty Images

This year's Strictly squad also featurres BBC newsreader Kate Silverton, charity campaigner Katie Piper, This Morning's resident physician Dr. Ranj Singh, comic Seann Walsh, Capital FM presenter Vick Hope and journalist Stacey Dooley.

Dooley went on the offensive for herself and her co-stars over the weekend when presenter and journalist Dan Wootton slated her and other members of this year's Strictly Come Dancing cast as D-listers.

"You know what I LOVE to do for a living? As a grown man? Slate people I don't know," she responded. "Damn Dan, you must feel fulfilled everyday you get up for work ... Ps. Next time you write about me, it's 'Stacey Dooley MBE' ...k?"

Strictly Come Dancing will return to BBC One in the autumn.


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