FAMILY Fortunes star Les Dennis has been revealed as the final celebrity contestant for this year’s Strictly Come Dancing competition – but fans are puzzled by the final line-up.
Les will join soap stars past and present on the dancefloor, including former Coronation Street star Ellie Leach, EastEnders actor Bobby Brazier, former EastEnders star Nigel Harman and Waterloo Road star Adam Thomas.
Les Dennis was the final star revealed in the Strictly line-up this week
He joined his fellow co-stars at training yesterday
The Strictly line-up also includes Paralympic champion Jody Cundy and former British number one tennis player Annabel Croft as well as BBC Asian Network’s Breakfast Show host Nikita Kanda, actress Amanda Abbington, Bad Education star Layton Williams and broadcaster Angela Rippon.
They will be joined by journalist Krishnan Guru-Murthy, comedian Eddie Kadi, Irish TV presenter Angela Scanlon and former Love Island star Zara McDermott.
After seeing the new crop of dancers fans took to Twitter and moaned about one missing element.
One avid fan said: “Strictly line up still seems to be lacking two traditional representatives – no pop star and no daytime/breakfast TV person.”
Another said: “Must be due a pop star announcement surely?”
And a third said: “Speculating on the next #Strictly contestants, here’s who is usually in the line-up…. sportsperson, someone from Eastenders, pop star, Good Morning Britain presenter/Loose Woman.”
Appearing on ITV’s Good Morning Britain to reveal himself as the 15th and final Strictly contestant, Les said: “I had a knee replacement two years ago and I remember thinking to myself, ‘it may be time to slow down’, but you get something offered like this and it puts a spring in your step.
“I’m excited and I’m terrified. People at any age can do anything.”
He later headed to his first set of rehearsals to meet his new co-stars.
The average age of contestants in this year’s series is 42 – the highest since 2017 and close to the highest in the show’s history, which was 45 in 2010.
Presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman will be back to host the show when it returns to screens in the autumn, alongside judges Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, and Anton Du Beke.
Les joined EastEnders legend Nigel Harman at rehearsals
Zara McDermott turned up to rehearsals in a pair of tiny shorts
Presenter Angela Scanlon was a dream in tie-dye as she arrived in London
