Cast of Strictly Come Dancing announced
Published on 27 August 2009 by Shanni Elcock
A host of actors are to take part in reality show, Strictly Come Dancing, along with former Wimbledon champion, Martina Hingis.
Joining Hingis will be 61-year-old actress Lynda Bellingham who recently appeared in Calendar Girls on the West End with a slew of other actors including The Bill's Ali Bastian, Natalie Cassidy, formerly of EastEnders and ex-Footballers' Wives stars Zoe Lucker and Laila Rouass.
Other actors include Hollyoaks' Ricky Whittle, Coronation Street's Craig Kelly and Ricky Groves from EastEnders.
Strictly Come Dancing is in its seventh series and faced scrutiny earlier this year when it replaced judge Arlene Phillips for ex-celebrity-contestant Alesha Dixon.
Phillips will return to the show as a choreographer.
The cast for BBC One show Strictly Come Dancing has been announced from the BBC.

Contestants will include a huge number of actors and actresses, such as Laila Rouass and Zoe Lucker from ITV1 drama Footballers' Wives, Ricky Whittle from Channel 4 drama Hollyoaks, former Eastenders co-stars Natalie Cassidy and Ricky Groves, Craig Kelly from ITV1 soap opera Coronation Street, and Ali Bastian from crime drama The Bill from the same channel.

Other television personalities that will be appearing on the show include BBC Breakfast presenter Chris Hollins and former Crimewatch police officer Rav Wilding.

Also included in the cast, which will total 16, will be jockey Richard Dunwoody, boxer Joe Calzaghe, ex-cricketer Phil Tufnell, Jo Wood, who split from Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood, and former tennis star Martina Hingis.

Fern Britton will not be appearing on the show, despite previous talks with producers.  Brendan Cole is going to be teamed up with Jo Wood.