Twirls allowed as Bradford pop star Kimberley Walsh confirmed for Strictly (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)
Get involved: send your pictures, video, news and views by texting TANEWS to 80360, or email
Twirls allowed as Bradford pop star Kimberley Walsh confirmed for Strictly
7:30pm Monday 10th September 2012 in News
Cha-cha-changes: One of Shrek-star Kimberley's glam Strictly outfits
Bradford pop singer and musical theatre star Kimberley Walsh takes up her next challenge this weekend - on BBC1's hit show Strictly Come Dancing.
Kimberley, who shot to fame with her band Girls Aloud and has most recently been seen in the West End stage production of Shrek, is among the line-up revealed tonight on the Beeb's magazine programme The One Show.
She joins Olympic stars Victoria Pendleton and Louis Smith, cricketer Michael Vaughan and former Emmerdale star Lisa Riley for the Saturday night hit ballroom dancing show.
The 37-year-old former cricket captain would follow in the footsteps of cricketers Darren Gough and Mark Ramprakash, who have previously won Strictly.
It has already been announced that Kimberley, of Sandy Lane, Bradford, is one of this year's 14 contestants.
The 30-year-old tweeted a picture of herself practising with professional dancer Anton du Beke but reassured fans she was not revealing who her partner will be.
Walsh has been keeping her followers on Twitter up to date with her antics preparing for Strictly, telling them: "Rehearsals have been so much fun but ouch ouch ouch! #scd" and "Thanks you so much for you lovely tweets of support already! I will do try my best to do you proud! #scd".
Other stars confirmed include Westlife's Nicky Byrne, Daybreak presenter Richard Arnold and actress Dani Harmer.
Former children's TV host Johnny Ball is expected to join them - the oldest competitor at the age of 74 - alongside model Jerry Hall and actor Sid Owen, best known for appearing as Ricky Butcher in EastEnders.
TV presenter Fern Britton, James Bond actor Colin Salmon and actress and singer Denise Van Outen are set to complete the line-up.
All of the contestants hid behind Sir Bruce Forsyth masks when they arrived at a south London dance studio for rehearsals this weekend.
The launch show is to be broadcast on BBC1 on Saturday, when the celebrities' dance partners will be announced.
