Celebrity contestants announced for 2022 Strictly Come Dancing UK tour
The shows kick off in January 2022 with dates across the country until mid-February.
John Whaite and Johannes Radebe, and Rose Ayling-Ellis and Giovanni Pernice, will keep dancing next year as they join the line-up for the Strictly Come Dancing live UK tour.
Other pairs from this year’s Strictly line-up announced for the tour include Sara Davies and Aljaz Skorjanec, AJ Odudu and Kai Widdrington, Tilly Ramsay and Nikita Kuzmin, and CBBC star Rhys Stephenson and Nancy Xu.
The Wanted singer Max George, who competed on Strictly in 2020, will also join the 2022 tour, paired with Katya Jones.
The couples will take to the road for more than 30 shows, with Strictly professionals Amy Dowden, Neil Jones, Luba Mushtuk and Jowita Przystal also involved.
It was previously announced that judges Craig Revel Horwood, Shirley Ballas and Bruno Tonioli will be part of the tour line-up, marking Tonioli’s Strictly return after he missed this year’s show due to uncertainty over travel as he is based in the US.
Strictly professional Janette Manrara will host the 2022 tour, after she hung up her dancing shoes this year to replace Zoe Ball as the host of It Takes Two.
EastEnders actress Ayling-Ellis, TV presenter Odudu, former Great British Bake Off winner Whaite and TV star Stephenson will all be competing in this weekend’s Strictly semi-final, hoping to secure a spot in the final.
Ayling-Ellis, 27, who is the first deaf contestant in the show’s history, said: “I have loved every minute of my Strictly journey so far, so to be able to continue it on the live tour next year is so exciting.
“I can’t wait to perform live in front of all the fans who have supported me through this incredible series.”
This year Whaite and Radebe made history as the show’s first all-male pairing.
Whaite said: “I’m so excited to continue this sparkling journey with Johannes on the Strictly tour. More sheer tops, more spray tans and more tight trousers? Yes Please!”
Odudu said: “Going on the Strictly tour is a fantastic opportunity. I’ll get to dance again and relive some of my favourite routines in front of huge live arena audiences. Just get me on the dance floor!”
Dragon’s Den star Davies, who was the seventh celebrity eliminated from the current series, said of going on tour: “I loved my Strictly experience – it was my absolute dream to take part in and, as viewers saw, I wasn’t quite ready for it to end.
“Going on tour will give me the chance to dance with Aljaz again – who has told me what an amazing experience it is. To meet the fans and perform in from of a live audience – will be the icing on the cake for me – I can’t wait!”
Social media star Ramsay, whose father is chef Gordon Ramsay, said: “Taking part in Strictly over the last 10 weeks was the best! A life changing experience where I learnt to dance and made friends for life.
“I’m so excited to now have the opportunity to be a part of the Strictly tour. I’m going to take all the fun from the TV studio to the venues around the country and I can’t wait to dance with a real live audience. See you there!”
TV star Stephenson said it will be “fantastic” to get his dancing shoes on while George, who danced alongside Dianne Buswell in the 2020 series, said he was “buzzing” to be asked to do the tour.
He added: “I know how exciting it is to perform in front the huge arena audiences – it’s incredible. And this time I get to dance with Katya (who’s a fave of mine) – roll on January, it’s gonna be sick!”
– The Strictly Come Dancing Live tour kicks off on January 20 in Birmingham, with tickets available from https://strictlycomedancinglive.com/
