From Cha Cha to the Tango: Strictly Come Dancing couples’ first dances revealed

The first dances for Strictly Come Dancing’s 2024 couples have been revealed with the latest series’ week one live show airing tomorrow.

Comedian Chris McCausland, the show’s first blind contestant, will dance the Cha Cha to Twist And Shout by The Beatles, with partner Dianne Buswell.

The 47-year-old recently revealed he initially did not want to join the celebrity cast, but said he was “very easily persuaded”.

Professional dancer Amy Dowden will mark her return to the show by dancing the Waltz to Leo Sayer’s When I Need You, with celebrity contestant JB Gill.

The 34-year-old dancer will return to the show after being diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2023, when she found a lump the day before her honeymoon, and missed out on having a celebrity partner in that year’s series of Strictly.

She announced in February that she would return to the show this year, after a mastectomy and chemotherapy left her with “no evidence of disease” following tests.

Elsewhere, actor Jamie Borthwick, who won the 2023 Christmas special, will Viennese Waltz to Beautiful Things by Benson Boone with partner Michelle Tsiakkas, and former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson will dance the American Smooth to Fat Les’s football anthem Vindaloo, with partner Karen Hauer.

Gladiator Montell Douglas will dance the Foxtrot to Dinah Washington’s Is You Is Or Is You Ain’t My Baby with partner Johannes Radebe, while reality star Pete Wicks and partner Jowita Przystal will perform the Paso Doble to Breathe by The Prodigy.

DIY SOS star Nick Knowles will Jive to We Built This City by Starship with partner Luba Mushtuk.

Knowles recently revealed he felt this year’s edition of Strictly would be his “last chance physically” to take part in the show.

This Morning resident doctor Punam Krishan and partner Gorka Marquez will dance the Cha Cha to Love At First Sight by Kylie Minogue, while former Olympic field hockey player Sam Quek will dance the Foxtrot with partner Nikita Kuzmin to Where Did Our Love Go by The Supremes.

Miranda actor Sarah Hadland and partner Vito Coppola will perform the Quickstep to 9 To 5 by Dolly Parton, while former X Factor winner Shayne Ward and partner Nancy Xu will dance Samba to Do I Do by Stevie Wonder.

Love Island star Tasha Ghouri and partner Aljaz Skorjanec will dance the Cha Cha to Espresso by Sabrina Carpenter.

Singer Toyah Wilcox, who recently said she would “channel my inner Ann Widdecombe” on the 20th anniversary series, will dance the Tango to Ray Of Light by Madonna, with partner Neil Jones.

Olympic swimmer Tom Dean will perform the Tango with partner Nadiya Bychkova to Golden by Harry Styles, and opera singer Wynne Evans will dance Samba with partner Katya Jones to Help Yourself by Tom Jones.

Week one of Strictly Come Dancing series 22 will air on BBC One and iPlayer at 7pm on Saturday September 21.

The show will launch amid a storm of controversy around the BBC dancing show over the alleged treatment of contestants.

An investigation was launched by the BBC after allegations made about Giovanni Pernice by former participant Amanda Abbington, with the results yet to be made public. Pernice rejects the allegations.

Fellow dancer Graziano Di Prima has also left the show.