This year’s Strictly line-up is a nightmare for the show’s biggest critics

The line-up is immediately excellent before anyone’s even taken to the stage (Picture: Shutterstock/BBC/Metro.co.uk)

Every year around this time, we’re teased with when the next star to join Strictly Come Dancing’s new season might be announced.

‘Tonight on The One Show’ or ‘keep your eyes peeled for some Strictly news on tomorrow’s Lorraine’.

I wouldn’t necessarily call myself the biggest Strictly fan, but I live for each and every one of these hilariously camp reveals over the course of a week. Side note: Whoever oversees Strictly’s social media accounts is proof the licence fee is worth every penny.

Subsequently though, without fail, there are always the same critics who love to take a dump on the line-up, ridiculing its list of ‘nobodies’, and blasting the BBC for ‘clutching at straws with Z-listers’.

I am not one of those people, but I will hold my hands up to admit that even I was baffled when it was confirmed last year that children’s TV presenter and Countryfile cameraman Hamza Yassin would be competing in one of the most watched shows on television every year.

Well, we all know what happened next. Like so many others, I was eating my words when he topped the leaderboard with his effortless Foxtrot in week one, and then weeks later I was one of thousands who voted for him to take home that Glitterball trophy – which he did, beating one of the biggest names on the series, Helen Skelton, in the final.

I was one of thousands who voted for Hamza to take home that Glitterball trophy (Picture: BBC/Guy Levy)

History repeats itself every year with Strictly’s biggest haters preaching the same bile, knowing full well they’ll be gripped when the first brass notes of that iconic theme tune begin to play before Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman introduce this year’s couples for the very first time.

This year, however, those who love to rain on Strictly’s parade are a bit stuck. The line-up is immediately excellent before anyone’s even taken to the stage.

Sherlock star Amanda Abbington was the first name confirmed and seemingly wasn’t on a single rumoured list or radar. Whatever your views are on her comments on the trans community, she’s a surprisingly high profile get for Strictly.

Krishnan Guru-Murthy is one of the most recognisable newsreaders in the UK, while Angela Rippon will be the oldest Strictly contestant ever, but one of the most flexible, according to Shirley Ballas, who claims the 78-year-old can still do the splits. Without question, both are qualifiers for true ‘TV legend’ status.

West end star Layton Williams, The One Show’s Angela Scanlon and one of the most successful soap stars of all time, Nigel Harman, all have professional dance experience which, while it may upset some, I’m all for. Watching 15 terrible dancers being dragged around a dancefloor every Saturday night is a fresh hell I do not want to be a part of.

Adam Thomas was one of the most entertaining I’m A Celebrity contestants ever in the jungle, and has just confirmed that not only is he taking part in Strictly Come Dancing, he snapped up the chance to challenge himself after being diagnosed with a chronic illness.

For the first time, Strictly is welcoming a Love Island contestant in Zara McDermott, who has well and truly shrugged off the negative (and misguided) connotations of the islanders being talentless and brainless after fronting several crucial documentaries for the BBC and proving bosses are paying particular attention to appealing to all ages.

Tennis ace Annabel Croft is one of the country’s greatest sporting success stories and will be competing just months after the death of her husband of over 30 years, bound to be having us all in bits with moving performances and what will be a truly inspirational journey.

And then, naturally, Strictly saved the best announcement for last. Family Fortunes host, Corrie legend, Amanda Holden’s scorned ex Les Dennis – alone, he’s a huge draw for any reality TV show.

Granted, I’m less familiar with Bobby Brazier (son of the late Jade Goody and now EastEnders star), Radio 1Xtra DJ Eddie Kadi, presenter Nikita Kanda, Paralympian Jody Cundy and Corrie star Ellie Leach, but in a month’s time there’s every chance I’ll be voting for them like I did Hamza.

It’s easily the most exciting line-up since somehow Caroline Flack, Alison Hammond, Mark Wright, Frankie Bridge, Pixie Lott, and Gregg Wallace all competed against each other in 2014.

I predict that ratings for this season will remain head and shoulders above anything else this winter and, come December, whoever lifts the Glitterball trophy will have gripped the nation.

No matter what some critics want to say about this year’s Strictly – for the first time in a very long time – they have absolutely no leg to stand on coming for its celebrity pulling power in 2023.

More importantly though, this is a line-up packed with heart, talent and heroes who have built decades-long careers by being some of the most entertaining names in the UK.

The 2023 class of Strictly is registered, and I cannot wait to spend the rest of the year with them.

Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC One this autumn.

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This is a line-up packed with heart, talent and heroes.