Fresh from presenting the BBC’s Rio Olympics coverage, Ore Oduba is heading to the ballroom with his pro partner Joanne Clifton.
It was a love for Strictly Come Dancing that attracted Ore to the show.
“I just love the show. It’s been a career-long ambition of mine to dance on Strictly. I worked at BBC Television Centre when it used to be filmed there, and for me Strictly was the show that sprinkled TV magic around the place and really made it come alive. Best of all, it has a special place in the heart of the nation. I can’t wait to be a part of that.”
What is Ore looking forward to over the course of the series?
“Learning from the best! It’ll be such a challenge to learn a brand new dance and perform it live in front of millions on a Saturday night. I’m really looking forward to being thrown well out of my comfort zone and meeting the other dancers and celebrities – it’s a big, sparkly family I can’t wait to be a member of!”
It’s not just the public he’ll need to impress to stay in the competition, Ore has to wow the judges. “It would be ideal if I could impress them all. It’ll be an honour to dance in Len’s final series; he’s been The Godfather for so many years. But if I can get Bruno up on his feet, maybe even on the table… I’ll be very happy!!”
Watch Ore and Joanne’s first steps below:
Strictly Come Dancing 2016 returns at 9pm on Friday and 6.30pm on Saturday.
