Ellie Taylor has been revealed as the ninth celebrity contestant on this year’s Strictly Come Dancing.
The 38-year-old comedian and Ted Lasso star will swap the stage for the dance floor later this year for the BBC’s Latin and lounge show, but the star insists he has the ability of dancing from a “new born giraffe”.
Former Heart FM presenter Ellie appeared on Tuesday morning’s Lorraine, hosted by Ranvir Singh, and said: “Well cover me in fake tan and roll me in sequins! I’m absolutely delighted to be part of Strictly 2022!
Number nine! Ellie Taylor, 38, has been revealed as the ninth celebrity contestant for this year’s Strictly Come Dancing.
“I’ve been watching the show for years so to be able to get on the dance floor is a dream come true for both me and my mum who is a ‘Strictly’ super fan!
“Right now I’m focusing on the excitement and the sparkle and I’m choosing to ignore the fact that I have the dancing ability of a newborn giraffe. Bring it on!’
The Ted Lasso actress, who plays Flo ‘Sassy’ Collins on the Apple TV+ show, has also appeared on the likes of Plebs, as well as panels.
8 out of 10 cats, Fake Reaction and Mock the Week, and presents Cheat alongside Danny Dyer, coming soon to Netflix.
Actress: The Ted Lasso actress plays Flo ‘Sassy’ Collins in the Apple TV+ show alongside Jason Sudeikis and Hannah Waddingham
Number eight! It comes after Matt Goss, 53, was unveiled as the eighth celebrity contestant to take part in this year’s Strictly.
It comes after Matt Goss, 53, was unveiled as the eighth celebrity contestant to take part in this year’s Strictly.
The singer was announced as the latest addition to the 2022 line-up on Monday’s episode of This Morning.
Joining hosts Josie Gibson and Craig Doyle, Matt said: “I’m excited, I’m nervous. You have the conversation and then you think, ‘I’ve got to dance!’
Matt, who has been living in America for the past 25 years as a headliner in Las Vegas, said he is happy to be spending an extended period of time back home.
He said: “I’ve been almost lonely, I come to work and then I go back to America. I thought, it’s time to go home and get out of my own way somehow.
‘Do something completely out of my comfort zone. I’m quite shy off stage, so I’ll have to face all these demons and learn.’
Reveal: The singer was announced as joining the 2022 line-up on Monday’s episode of This Morning
It comes after Tyler West was revealed as the seventh celebrity contestant to take part in Strictly.
The KISS FM DJ broke the news on the station’s breakfast show hosted by Jordan Banjo and Perri Kiely on Monday.
She announced in a statement: “I’m SO pumped to be joining the Strictly family! I was already cramping when I started writing this. It’s going to be an amazing crazy ride that will definitely be SO far out of my comfort zone.
New star: Tyler West has been unveiled as the seventh celebrity contestant to take part in this year’s Strictly.
She continued: “It’s a show that means a lot to me and my family and I can’t wait to seriously shake a leg on that sparkly dance floor…with a side of sequins.”
Tyler is best known for hosting weekday afternoons on KISS, for which he was nominated for a prestigious ARIA for Best New Presenter in 2020.
Having started his broadcasting career in children’s television, presenting various programs on CBBC, he has presented MTV News, HQ Trivia and the 2020 EE BAFTA Awards Red Carpet Live Show.
Last year he launched his first BBC Three series, co-presenting Flat out Fabulous and becoming the host of The MTV Movie Show.
New gig: The KISS FM DJ broke the news on the station’s breakfast show hosted by Jordan Banjo and Perri Kiely on Monday
It comes after Ellie Simmonds was announced as the sixth celebrity contestant on Sunday.
The 27-year-old Paralympic swimmer, who has a type of dwarfism called achondroplasia and is 4ft tall, is the first with the genetic condition to appear on the programme.
Ellie will join already announced stars Kym Marsh, Will Mellor, Richie Anderson and Jayde Adams in series 20 later this year.
Speaking after the announcement on BBC 5 Live Sunday Breakfast, the athlete said: “Oh my God!! I’m literally full of excitement!!
“It’s been so hard to keep this secret as I’ve wanted to tell everyone. I’m going on Strictly Come Dancing!! I’m a bit nervous too, more than a bit… I’m absolutely petrified!
Line-up: Ellie Simmonds has been announced as the sixth celebrity contestant to take part in this year’s Strictly Come Dancing
“Being asked to be part of the Strictly family is really exciting and I can’t wait, it’s going to be so much fun. I’m counting down the minutes until it starts – learning to dance, meeting my partner and everyone involved in the show.
“Besides wearing the sequins and all, it’s going to be a blast. I’ve been watching Strictly for as long as I can remember – it’s a pre-Christmas tradition with my family and it’s a real privilege to be a part of it.”
She added to The Mirror: “I’m going to be so, so nervous, and I’m going to try not to think about all the people watching,” said Ellie, who attended the Commonwealth Games yesterday.
“My family and friends will support me and help keep me grounded.
“I’m the first dwarf to do the show, I’m going to show how positive it is, that being different is okay. It’s a real honor.”
New venture: The 27-year-old Paralympic swimmer will join already announced stars Kym Marsh, Will Mellor, Richie Anderson and Jayde Adams in the 20 series later this year (pictured at the London 2012 Paralympics )
Ellie is best known as a gold medal winning Paralympic swimmer. At thirteen he was the youngest British athlete at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, winning gold medals in the 100m and 400m freestyle events.
In 2012 he took gold in the 400m freestyle and 200m individual medley at the London Summer Paralympics and won another gold in the 200m individual medley at Rio 2016.
In addition, he has also won ten World Championship gold titles.
At the age of 13 he won the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year and a year later, aged just 14, he became the youngest person ever to receive an MBE.
Ellie said: “I’m going to Strictly Come Dancing!! I’m a bit nervous too, more than a bit… I’m absolutely petrified!’ (pictured with Kelly Holmes in August 2022)
She was made an OBE in the 2013 New Year’s Honors for services to Paralympic sport.
After retiring from competitive swimming in 2020, Ellie has gone on to present for BBC Sport, most recently for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, as well as making documentaries such as Ellie Simmonds: A World Without Dwarfism? for BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
She is set to explore disability and adoption in a recently announced ITV film.
Success: Ellie is best known as a gold medal winning Paralympic swimmer. At thirteen he was the youngest British athlete at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, winning gold medals in the 100m and 400m freestyle events.
It comes after Jayde Adams was announced as the fifth contestant to sign up for Strictly Come Dancing 2022.
The comedian and actress, 37, said keeping the secret under wraps had been like “torture” but she was a “huge fan” of the show, joking that appearing on the beloved show was the his main professional goal.
She said: “Since watching the first series in 2004, I feel like every step I’ve taken in my career over the last 11 years was meant to be on Strictly.
“I can’t begin to express the emotions I feel, this means so much to me and my family. I’ve always watched him, apart from a short break in 2011, as he did a tireless show every weekend (for try to put myself in rigor).
“I’ve been a huge fan of the show for years. I feel like I’m watching myself in a dream and I can’t believe I brought this up.
She added: “Containing this has been torture for me!”
Big fan: Jayde Adams announced as fifth contestant to sign up for Strictly Come Dancing 2022
Best known as a comedian, Jayde has won several comedy awards and was nominated for the coveted Best Newcomer with her debut hour at the Edinburgh Fringe.
The news was revealed on Saturday morning on BBC Radio 5 Live by Scott Mills and Chris Stark.
Kaye Adams was revealed as the fourth contestant in the series, making the emotional announcement live on Friday’s Loose Women on ITV.
Kaye surprised fellow panelists Denise Welch, Carol McGiffin and Sunetra Sarker, as well as Nadia Sawalha, who appeared via video link, with the news towards the end of the show, with the studio welcoming to a large number of dancers.
It’s official! Kaye Adams has been announced as the fourth contestant to sign up for Strictly Come Dancing 2022
While the studio panelists were thrilled with the announcement, Nadia was left visibly shocked and emotional, telling her friend: “Is that really you?! Oh my God. I could cry!’
“It’s amazing that you can do it because, let’s face it, you can’t dance, but that’s what we love to see on Strictly – someone learns to dance. You’re going to be amazing, you’re so funny, you’ve got the best legs in the business. I can’t wait to get home and cha cha cha with you!’
Revealing how she felt about taking part, Kaye admitted: “It’s me! I’m absolutely terrified that I can’t dance. I could think of a million reasons not to do this.”
The reporter continued: “When these gorgeous dancers came on, I almost jumped out of both ends of my body, honestly. I’m sorry about that!
Surprise! The Scottish TV star, 59, made the emotional announcement live on Friday’s Loose Women on ITV after keeping it a secret from her co-stars.
“But I thought, ‘I think by the end of September I’d like to have done this.’ I’m 59, 60 at the end of this year, and I said, ‘Well, why not?’
“I’m a very competitive person and Nadia, you know it’s true, but in this…