This year, the\u00a0Strictly Come Dancing<\/a> line-up features not one but two same-sex couples, with comedian Jayde Adams<\/a> partnered up with Karen Hauer, and footballer turned TV personality Richie Anderson<\/a> partnering with last year\u2019s winner, Giovanni Pernice.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel like it\u2019s not real, I feel like someone made a Strictly themed birthday party and I\u2019m in the middle of it!\u201d Strictly fan Jayde revealed at the launch show before being partnered with Karen, who she declared \u201cis Strictly!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m absolutely excited, I have so many ideas, too many ideas, this is going to be a golden moment for me,\u201d Karen added.<\/p>\n Nikita Kuzmin was unveiled as Paralympic champion and broadcaster Ellie Simmonds\u2019 partner, while actress Ellie Taylor was partnered up with Johannes Radebe.<\/p>\n Asked what it means to be representing people with dwarfism on Strictly, Simmonds said: \u201cIt means everything, to represent not just dwarfism but disability in general, for me to go out of my comfort zone and do something that I\u2019ve never done before. Dancing is for all, yes, I\u2019m going to have to adapt, I\u2019m going to have to see what it\u2019s like, but to be out there every Saturday night dancing\u2026 I\u2019m so so proud.\u201d<\/p>\n Ellie Taylor had hoped she\u2019d be paired with Johannes, so she was over the moon when it was announced, and Johannes felt the same, saying: \u201c<\/em>I\u2019m really chuffed to be partnered with Ellie, meeting her has been joyous and to see her excited about the season ahead makes me excited!\u201d<\/p> The other couples include Fleur East and Vito Coppola, Hamza Yassin and Jowita Przystal, Helen Skelton and Gorka Marquez, James Bye and Amy Dowden, and Kaye Adams and Kai Widdrington.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Kym Marsh has been paired with Graziano Di Prima, Matt Goss will be dancing with Nadiya Bychkova, Molly Rainford has newcomer Carlos Gu, Tony Adams was matched with Katya Jones, Tyler West and Dianne Buswell are partners, and Will Mellor will be alongside Nancy Xu.<\/p>\n Speaking of his pairing with Nancy, Will gushed: \u201cWe match well\u2026 I\u2019m like an excitable puppy and so\u2019s she!\u201d<\/p>\n As well as introducing their partners, the Strictly professionals<\/a> also performed two stunning routines, while reigning champion Rose Ayling-Ellis also made a triumphant return, and John Legend performed.<\/p>\n The series will return tomorrow with its very first live show.<\/p>\n Strictly Come Dancing 2022\u2019s first live show airs on BBC One at 6:45pm tomorrow (Saturday 24th September). Find something to watch with our <\/strong>TV Guide<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0or visit our\u00a0<\/strong>Entertainment<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0hub for all the latest news.<\/strong><\/p>\n The latest issue of Radio Times magazine is on sale now \u2013\u00a0<\/strong>subscribe now<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0and get the next 12 issues for only \u00a31. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the\u00a0<\/strong>Radio Times podcast<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0with Jane Garvey.<\/strong><\/p><\/body><\/html>\n By Lidia Molina-Whyte Published: Friday, 23 September 2022 at 12:00 am Strictly Come Dancing has made a welcome return to our screens, with this year\u2019s couples confirmed during today\u2019s launch show. The Strictly contestants were introduced by hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, donning their best outfits to take to the stage with their respective […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":22552,"template":"","categories":[5],"acf":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/09\/strictly-2022-confirms-celeb-pairings-including-2-same-sex-couples.jpg",768,513,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/09\/strictly-2022-confirms-celeb-pairings-including-2-same-sex-couples-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/09\/strictly-2022-confirms-celeb-pairings-including-2-same-sex-couples-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/09\/strictly-2022-confirms-celeb-pairings-including-2-same-sex-couples.jpg",768,513,false],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/09\/strictly-2022-confirms-celeb-pairings-including-2-same-sex-couples.jpg",768,513,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/09\/strictly-2022-confirms-celeb-pairings-including-2-same-sex-couples.jpg",768,513,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/09\/strictly-2022-confirms-celeb-pairings-including-2-same-sex-couples.jpg",768,513,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"By Lidia Molina-Whyte Published: Friday, 23 September 2022 at 12:00 am Strictly Come Dancing has made a welcome return to our screens, with this year\u2019s couples confirmed during today\u2019s launch show. The Strictly contestants were introduced by hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, donning their best outfits to take to the stage with their respective…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/22551"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22552"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22551"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22551"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"""\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2022\/09\/strictly-jayde-richie-6bf0b1d.jpg?quality=90&resize=619%2C413"\" "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
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