{"id":35660,"date":"2023-08-10T11:38:24","date_gmt":"2023-08-10T09:38:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1871142"},"modified":"2023-08-10T14:31:15","modified_gmt":"2023-08-10T12:31:15","slug":"tennis-icon-annabel-croft-confirmed-for-strictly-come-dancing-2023","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/tennis-icon-annabel-croft-confirmed-for-strictly-come-dancing-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"Tennis icon Annabel Croft confirmed for Strictly Come Dancing 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"

Annabel Croft is the latest celebrity to join this year’s Strictly line-up. <\/p>

By Lidia Molina-Whyte\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Thursday, 10 August 2023 at 09:38 AM<\/p>

\n\n

It\u2019s almost time for Strictly Come Dancing 2023<\/a> to grace our screens, with the list of celebrities who will take to the dance floor this year now complete.<\/p>\n

Tennis legend Annabel Croft is one of the latest names to be confirmed for this year\u2019s competition, with the news confirmed on Virgin Radio\u2019s Breakfast show.<\/p>\n

Croft joins a packed Strictly Come Dancing 2023 line-up<\/a> which includes the likes of\u00a0Amanda Abbington<\/a>, Layton Williams<\/a> and fellow athlete Jody Cundy<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Strictly pro dancer line-up<\/a> has also been unveiled and features plenty of returning faces, from last year\u2019s winner Jowita Przysta\u0142 to fan favourite Gorka M\u00e1rquez. Amy Dowden will not returning this year, however, as she is currently undergoing treatment for breast cancer<\/a>.<\/p>\n

So, who is Annabel Croft and how does she feel about her upcoming stint on the dance floor? Read on to find out.<\/p>\n

Who is Annabel Croft?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"Annabel<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Annabel Croft joins the Strictly line-up.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Age:<\/strong> 57<\/p>\n

Job:<\/strong> Former British Number One tennis player and presenter<\/p>\n

Instagram:\u00a0<\/strong>@annabel_croft<\/a><\/p>\n

Twitter:<\/strong> @Annabel_Croft<\/a><\/p>\n

Croft is a former British Number One tennis player. At 15, she became the youngest British player to compete at Wimbledon for 95 years, going on to achieve a world ranking of 24 at the height of her tennis career.<\/p>\n

She won the WTA Tour event Virginia Slims of San Diego and represented Great Britain at various prestigious competitions, including Wightman and several Federation Cups. She retired from professional tennis at the age of 21 and went on to work as a radio and television presenter, playing an integral role in Wimbledon coverage since.<\/p>\n

Croft has also presented the likes of Treasure Hunt and Inceptor, and works as a pundit for broadcasters such as\u00a0BBC, Sky, Amazon Prime, ITV and Discovery.<\/p>

What has Annabel Croft said about joining Strictly 2023?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Speaking of joining the Strictly line-up, Croft said: \u201cI have always loved watching Strictly and can\u2019t quite believe I\u2019m going to be part of this magical show \u2013 swapping tennis balls for glitter balls and looking forward to finding some joyfulness in the process.\u201d<\/p>\n

Having won ITV\u2019s one-off Celebrity Wrestling in 2005, it appears Croft is no stranger to stepping out of her comfort zone, and she certainly sounds ready to put on those dancing shoes.<\/p>\n

Now this is a serve! Wimbledon presenter and former British number one tennis player Annabel Croft is all set for #Strictly<\/a> \ud83c\udfbe\ud83d\udc49https:\/\/t.co\/A4Vm728SXH<\/a> @Annabel_Croft<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/Q2vMlUAYlQ<\/a><\/p>\u2014 BBC Strictly \u2728 (@bbcstrictly) August 10, 2023<\/a><\/blockquote>