Jessie Wallace
celebrity,reality tv,strictly come dancing,Jessie Wallace
strictly come dancing 2008 jessie wallace
Dancing with: Darren Bennett
CV: Jessie is best known for her five year stint as Kat Slater in EastEnders.
Need to know: According to reports, a rivalry is already brewing between Jessie and Lisa Snowden because Jessie seems to think that Lisa is getting all the best costumes. Oh dear.
She says: \"I\'ve always wanted to do Strictly, all those amazing dresses and the fantastic make-up, it\'s going to be masses of fun and what a great way to keep fit!\"
Winning potential: Good.
Andrew Castle
celebrity,reality tv,strictly come dancing,Andrew Castle
strictly come dancing 2008 andrew castle
Dancing with: Ola Jordan
CV: Former British number one tennis ace turned GMTV presenter.
Need to know: Andrew has been getting dancing tips from fellow GMTV presenters Fiona Phillips and Kate Garraway who have also appeared on Strictly Come Dancing.
He says: \"I don\'t usually dance for fear of being categorised as an embarrassing dad\".
Winning potential: Slim.
Gillian Taylforth
celebrity,reality tv,strictly come dancing,Gillian Taylforth
strictly come dancing 2008 gillian taylforth
Dancing with: Anton du Beke
CV: Soap star super star Gillian began her career in EastEnders as Ian Beale\'s long suffering mother Kathy. She\'s since gone on to star in Footballers Wives and The Bill.
Need to know: Gillian\'s brother had a premonition that she would be invited to take part in Strictly Come Dancing. In the dream she didn\'t win the show but, according to her brother, did pretty well.
She says: \"My son thinks I\'ll be an embarrassment but I thought it was about time I had a bit of fun doing something I enjoy.\"
Winning potential: Good.
Tom Chambers
celebrity,reality tv,strictly come dancing,Tom Chambers
strictly come dancing 2008 tom chambers
Dancing with: Camilla Dallerup
CV: Plays bad boy Sam Strachan in BBC One\'s Holby City.
Need to know: Tom postponed his wedding and honeymoon plans to appear on Strictly Come Dancing. Tom also has dancing experience - according to IMDB he\'s an avid tap dancer.
He says: \"Hopefully I\'ll last longer in the competition than I did on the celebrity Weakest Link where I was voted off in the first round!\"
Winning potential: Excellent.
Rachel Stevens
celebrity,reality tv,strictly come dancing,rachel stevens
strictly come dancing 2008 rachel stevens
Dancing with: Vincent Simone
CV: S Club 7 - need we say more.
Need to know: Following in the footsteps of her Strictly Come Dancing rival Tom Chambers, Rachel has decided to put her wedding to Alex Bourne on hold so she can concentrate on training for the show.
She says: \"I would be thrilled if I won, but I can\'t think that far ahead. I\'m taking each training session as it comes and I\'m looking forward to the sexy dances like the rumba.\"
Winning potential: Shoo-in.
Phil Daniels
celebrity,reality tv,strictly come dancing,Phil Daniels
strictly come dancing 2008 phil daniels
Dancing with: Flavia Cacace
CV: Began his career with a bit part in Bugsy Malone, went on to play Jimmy in the cult film Quadrophenia, was the singing salesman in Blur\'s Parklife music video, and was last seen as Kevin Wicks in EastEnders.
Need to know: Phil has put a £50 bet on himself to win.
He says: \"I hope I will surprise myself and be good at dancing - I just hope I don\'t fall over or forget the steps!\"
Winning potential: Slim.
Lisa Snowdon
celebrity,reality tv,strictly come dancing,Lisa Snowdon
strictly come dancing 2008 lisa snowdon
Dancing with: Brendan Cole
CV: Top model turned TV presenter, Lisa is probably best known for her five year on/off relationship with gorgeous George Clooney.
Need to know: Lisa has recently been moaning about not being able to get a date since dating George, so perhaps Brendon might be in with a shot? Watch this space.
She says: \"I never miss an episode of Strictly. I\'m honoured to be involved this year; I will put my heart and soul into it.\"
Winning potential: Excellent.
Mark Foster
celebrity,reality tv,strictly come dancing,Mark Foster
strictly come dancing 2008 mark foster
Dancing with: Hayley Holt
CV: One the best British swimmers ever to grace a pool, Mark Foster has broken eight world records and recently competed in his fifth Olympic Games.
Need to know: Presenter Tess Daly has dubbed Mark the one to watch.
He says: \"I was an avid viewer when my friend Colin Jackson was the runner-up in 2005 and understand that this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance.\"
Winning potential: Excellent.
Heather Small
celebrity,reality tv,strictly come dancing,Heather Small
strictly come dancing 2008 heather small
Dancing with: Brian Fortuna
CV: Heather rose to fame in the \'90s as lead singer of pop group M People.
Need to know: Heather has turned the chance to appear on Strictly Come Dancing in previous years fearing that it would be too hard.
She says: \"I occasionally suffer from stage fright and, if left to my own devices, I would probably say no to anything scary.\"
Winning potential: Good.
Austin Healey
celebrity,reality tv,strictly come dancing,Austin Healey
strictly come dancing 2008 austin healy
Dancing with: Erin Boag
CV: Former rugby union star who has played for England 51 times and the British Lions twice.
Need to know: Austen is famous for his ultra competitive nature and outspoken attitude so the judges had better watch out.
He says: \"I miss the competitive element in my life now that I\'ve retired from rugby and this will bring that back. I will give 100%.\"
Winning potential: Good.
Cherie Lunghi
celebrity,reality tv,strictly come dancing,Cherie Lunghi
strictly come dancing 2008 cherie lunghi
Dancing with: James Jordon
CV: Stage and screen actress Cherie Lunghi has appeared in some of the best dramas on TV including Waking the Dead, The Inspector Lynley Mysteries and most recently Secret Diary Of A Call Girl.
Need to know: Cheri was a ballet dancer in her younger days.
She says: \"I think this will be tremendous fun! I hope that me doing this inspires other women to kick off their shoes and give dancing a whirl.\"
Winning potential: Good.
Gary Rhodes
celebrity,reality tv,strictly come dancing,Gary Rhodes
Strictly Come Dancing 2008 : Gary Rhodes
Dancing with: Karen Hardy
CV: Crazy-haired, ultra successful TV chef and restaurateur elevated to the position of Officer of the British Empire in 2006.
Need to know: Karen Hardy has nicknamed Gary \"Mr Bean\" thanks to his unpromising start to training for the show.
He says: \"I hope this leads to a great social pastime for my wife and I to enjoy together.\"
Winning potential: Slim.
Jodie Kidd
celebrity,jodie kidd,reality tv,strictly come dancing
strictly come dancing 2008 jodie kidd
Dancing with: Ian Waite
CV: One of the UK\'s most successful supermodels, Jodie has recently got into TV reporting for GMTV and This Morning.
Need to know: Apparently Jodie is finding it too hard to act demurely in her raunchy Strictly frocks so has asked for longer ones to be made to improve her performance.
She says: \"I\'m a huge fan of Strictly Come Dancing and, if I\'m away, my Saturday night just isn\'t the same!\"
Winning potential: Good.
John Sergeant
celebrity,reality tv,strictly come dancing,John Sergeant
strictly come dancing 2008 john sergeant
Dancing with: Kristina Rihanoff
CV: Award winning political journalist and author.
Need to know: According to reports, John has sustained more injuries while training for Strictly Come Dancing than when he was a war correspondent.
He says: \"I thought it was about time that I did something a bit absurd... My wife is a huge fan of Strictly Come Dancing and thinks I\'m going to be terrible, but I\'m looking forward to the ballroom so I can feel taller and slimmer in the Latin heels!\"
Winning potential: None - but we\'ll be cheering for him.
Christine Bleakley
celebrity,reality tv,strictly come dancing,Christine Bleakley
strictly come dancing 2008 christine bleakley
Dancing with: Matthew Cutler
CV: Worked her way through the ranks from a runner and assistant director to become a presenter on BBC\'s The One Show alongside Adrian Chiles.
Need to know: Christine has reportedly been struggling to cope with the pressure of being partnered with Matthew Cutler who took the show by storm last year with Alesha Dixon.
She says: \"I\'m quite shy but am looking forward to learning such a beautiful skill.\"
Winning potential: Good.
Don Warrington
celebrity,reality tv,strictly come dancing,Don Warrington
strictly come dancing 2008 don warrington
Dancing with: Lilia Kopylova
CV: Actor best known for playing Philip Smith in Rising Damp alongside Leonard Rossiter and Richard Beckinsale. Was awarded MBE in the 2008 Queen\'s Birthday Honours List for his services to drama.
Need to know: Don does have some dancing experience and he has been seen shaking his tail feather on stage on more than one occasion.
He says: \"The last time I danced was a very long time ago. I\'m still learning to put one foot in front of the other one!\"
Winning potential: Slim.
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