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Jul 21 | 2 min readIt’s a staple of the Christmas Day TV calendar on BBC One, alongside the Queen’s Speech and a festive edition of Call The Midwife.
And this year’s Strictly Come Dancing all-star Christmas special is no exception, with brand new celebrities taking to the dancefloor to perform a dance routine inspired by the holiday season.
The celebrities taking part in the 2022 edition of the show have now been revealed.
Who’s in the Strictly Christmas special celebrity line-up?
This year's six seasonal Strictly celebrities are:
- Rosie Ramsey
- Rickie Haywood-Williams
- Alexandra Mardell
- Larry Lamb
- Nicola Roberts
- George Webster
Scroll down to discover more about the celebrities and find out what they're looking forward to most from their Strictly experience...
Rosie Ramsey
BBC
Rosie Ramsey is the first celebrity confirmed for the 2022 Christmas special.
Rosie will be paired with Strictly Come Dancing professional dancer, Neil Jones.
Rosie is a podcaster, TV host, author and author. She co-hosts the critically acclaimed podcast Sh**ged. Married. Annoyed with husband Chris Ramsey and is a co-host of The Chris & Rosie Ramsey Show which will return for a second series next year on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer.
Rosie Ramsey said: "I am thrilled to be dancing in this year’s Strictly Christmas special! After watching my husband Chris compete a few years ago, I’ve been desperate to get on that dance floor myself!
"I also absolutely LOVE Christmas, and my partner Neil is lovely, so this is just perfect. Best. Christmas. Ever!"
Rickie Haywood-Williams
BBC
Rickie Haywood-Williams is the second celebrity confirmed for the Christmas special.
Rickie will be paired with Strictly Come Dancing professional dancer Luba Mushtuk.
Rickie is a DJ and presenter. He previously presented the KISS FM breakfast show for 10 years before moving to the BBC, where he currently presents BBC Radio 1’s iconic Live Lounge show with Melvin Odoom and Charlie Hedges.
He also hosts the BBC Sounds hit podcast the Footballers’ Football podcast.
Rickie said: "I have watched Strictly over the years and always said I’d be too scared to do it. But here I am ready to go for it, sequins n’ all."
Alexandra Mardell
BBC
Alexandra Mardell is the third celebrity confirmed for the 2022 Strictly Christmas special.
She will partner professional dancer Kai Widdrington.
Alexandra is best known for the role of Emma Brooker in Coronation Street. In 2019, she won the British Soap Award for Best Newcomer and was nominated for both Best Newcomer and Serial Drama Performance at the National Television Awards.
"I’ve grown up with Strictly Come Dancing, and my Mum always said she’d love to see me on the show so this really is the best Christmas present I could give her," said Mardell.
"I can't wait to get into the training room and see what festive moves I can bring to the table!"
Larry Lamb
BBC
Larry Lamb is the fourth celebrity confirmed for the Strictly Christmas special, and will be paired with professional dancer Nadiya Bychkova.
Stage and screen actor Larry has starred in numerous TV series, and is best known for playing Mick Shipman in Gavin & Stacey and Archie Mitchell in EastEnders. A keen traveller, Larry presents Channel 5 docuseries Britain by Bike, which sees him and his son George cycling across Britain, and he also regularly works with BBC One's The One Show, presenting their history and heritage films.
Larry said: “Christmas has come early! I can’t wait to get on the dance floor and learn a brand new skill ready for all those festive parties. I am excited yet incredibly nervous but I know Nadiya will look after me, and I look forward to adding a bit of extra sparkle to Christmas day.”
Nicola Roberts
BBC
Nicola Roberts is the fifth celebrity confirmed for the Strictly Christmas special. Nicola will be paired with professional dancer Giovanni Pernice.
Nicola Roberts is best known for being one fifth of Girls Aloud, who were formed 20 years ago this Christmas. The band achieved a record-breaking 20 consecutive Top 10 singles and won a Brit Award for their No.1 single The Promise. In 2011 Nicola co-wrote and released her debut solo album Cinderella’s Eyes. She is also an actress and in 2020 made her West End debut in City of Angels.
Nicola presented a critically acclaimed BBC Three documentary Nicola Roberts: The Truth About Tanning and successfully advocated for a ban on underage usage of tanning beds. In 2020 she was crowned the winner of the first series of ITV’s The Masked Singer UK in the guise of Queen Bee.
Nicola said: “It’s truly an honour to be part of Strictly, but to be invited on to the prestigious Christmas Day episode is something very special indeed. They’ve promised me extra glitter, sparkle and frosting all wrapped up together with a big bow on top. What more could a girl wish for at Christmas!”
George Webster
BBC
George Webster is the sixth and final celebrity confirmed for the Strictly Christmas special, and will be paired with professional dancer Amy Dowden.
Hailing from Leeds, 22-year-old George recently won a BAFTA after becoming the first presenter on CBeebies with Down Syndrome. He is also an actor on stage and screen, appearing in productions in France and the UK, and has a cameo role in The Railway Children Return, a sequel to the classic story. He will soon be seen in Something Special, Casualty and World on Fire.
He is a public speaker, park runner and ambassador for the disability charity Mencap and also Yorkshire Dance.
George said: “I love Strictly and have watched it every year. I’ve always dreamed of being on the show one year and I’m so excited to be on this year’s Christmas Special!
"To be partnered with Amy is such an honour, we get on so well, she’s so lovely and an amazing dancer. I’m looking forward to being 'Strictlyfied'. Bring on the glitter and everything else. I can’t wait to perform on the Strictly dancefloor.”
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Who are the judges for the Strictly Christmas special?
The judges for the Strictly Christmas special 2022 are Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke, and Head Judge Shirley Ballas.
Who are the previous winners of the Strictly Christmas special?
- 2004 - Jill Halfpenny & Darren Bennett
- 2005 - Darren Gough & Lilia Kopylova
- 2006 - Colin Jackson & Erin Boag
- 2007 - Darren Gough & Lilia Kopylova
- 2008 - Jill Halfpenny & Darren Bennett
- 2009 - Ali Bastian & Brian Fortuna
- 2010 - John Barrowman & Kristina Rihanoff
- 2011 - Charlie Brooks & Vincent Simone
- 2012 - J.B. Gill & Ola Jordan
- 2013 - Rufus Hound & Flavia Cacace
- 2014 - Louis Smith & Aliona Vilani
- 2015 - Harry Judd & Joanne Clifton
- 2016 - Melvin Odoom & Janette Manrara
- 2017 - Katie Derham & Brendan Cole
- 2018 - Aston Merrygold & Janette Manrara
- 2019 - Debbie McGee & Kevin Clifton
- 2020 - Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a competition was not able to take place so a countdown of the top 25 most memorable dances in Strictly history took place instead. Strictly 2015 champions Jay McGuinness and Aliona Vilani’s Week 3 Jive was voted the most memorable dance.
- 2021 - Anne-Marie & Graziano Di Prima
When can I watch the Strictly Christmas special 2022?
The Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special will air on BBC One on Christmas Day and BBC iPlayer
