Strictly 24: Historic Two-Woman Couple & Fresh Talent

The 24th series of 'Strictly Come Dancing' premiered on Saturday, September 19, marking a significant new chapter for the BBC dance competition. A fresh presenting trio, consisting of Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe, and Johannes Radebe, took to the stage, following the departures of longtime hosts. This series also welcomes five new professional dancers: Aleksandra Isaeva, Cristian Priori, Lethabo Monametsi, Maddie Ingoldsby, and Mark Karmalita. These new professionals, hailing from diverse international backgrounds, made a striking entrance during the launch show. Reigning champion Karen Carney also made a final appearance on the dancefloor before the new contestants begin their journey.

The celebrity pairings were unveiled during the launch show, a process that saw 15 celebrities matched with professional partners. Notably, actress Bethany Antonia and professional dancer Nancy Xu have formed the third historical same-sex female couple in the show's run. Antonia expressed the personal significance of this pairing, drawing inspiration from previous same-sex couples. Reality TV star Dani Dyer makes a triumphant return after a past injury forced her withdrawal; she was paired with Nikita Kuzmin and expressed immense joy at the announcement, with Kuzmin sharing similar sentiments. The judges, including Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Shirley Ballas, and Anton Du Beke, returned to offer their critiques as the 13-week competition officially commenced.