Made In Chelsea’s Jamie Laing, RuPaul’s Drag Race star Michelle Visage and Paralympic champion Will Bayley are the latest stars to join the Strictly Come Dancing line-up.
The trio were confirmed for this year’s series on Monday, starting with sports star Bayley, one of the stars of the London 2012 and Rio 2016 games.
Bayley has suffered from arthrogryposis since birth, a rare condition which affects all four of his limbs.
London 2012 ✅ Rio 2016 ✅Strictly 2019 ✅ Will Bayley MBE @WillBayleytt, Gold-Medal winning Paralympian joins our line-up 🥇https://t.co/vNRTXnXAqx pic.twitter.com/97LErakrO6
— BBC Strictly ✨ (@bbcstrictly) August 5, 2019
Upon his reveal, Bayley said: “I have no dance experience at all, but I hope I can do well. I want to inspire people with a disability – that would mean a lot to me. I want to prove to people I can do this.”
Bayley is currently training to defend his Paralympic title at the Tokyo 2020 games, and won gold at the Japan Open 2019.
American singer, TV star and radio personality Visage, who was announced on ITV’s Lorraine, said: “I’m a woman that’s 50 years old. I want to be out there representing women of a certain age.
“People say ‘They’re old, they can’t do it anymore’, but actually we can. We can do it great.”
She's here to to slay the ballroom… Shantay @michellevisage, queen of @rupaulsdragrace, you stay! 👑https://t.co/DwTbbAWJtE pic.twitter.com/qSdKRc1CKk
— BBC Strictly ✨ (@bbcstrictly) August 5, 2019
Visage, who will appear on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK on BBC Three in October, was in Celebrity Big Brother and a judge on Ireland’s Got Talent.
Made In Chelsea star Laing was confirmed on ITV’s Loose Women, where he said he hopes his Strictly stint will make his mother proud.
Laing, 30, told the programme that he has known about his new TV job for about a month, adding: “I’m not very good at keeping secrets so that was quite tricky, especially from my mum.
“I couldn’t even tell my mum, and every single year she says, ‘are you doing the show?’… So hey, surprise mum!”
Made in Chelsea, but ready to dance in Elstree! Welcome to #Strictly @JamieLaing_UK https://t.co/NhK36jv5kZ 🕺 pic.twitter.com/XqWZ046jww
— BBC Strictly ✨ (@bbcstrictly) August 5, 2019
He added: “She’s very excited, it’s one of those shows that not only do you get to learn a talent and things like that, but at last she’ll be proud of me.”
Chef and philanthropist Emma, Viscountess Weymouth, footballer David James, comedian Chris Ramsey, EastEnders star Emma Barton, YouTuber Saffron Barker, actress Catherine Tyldesley, BBC Breakfast’s Mike Bushell and CBBC star Karim Zeroual are also in this year’s line-up.
The new series will see the return of judges Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood and Bruno Tonioli, while Motsi Mabuse, the sister of Strictly professional Oti, will replace Dame Darcey Bussell on the panel.