CELEBRITIES LINE UP FOR DANCE SHOW

The sixth series will feature two more couples than in previous years and even more episodes.

The weekend show returns to BBC1 with hosts, Bruce Forsyth and Tess Daly.

The women are One Show presenter Christine Bleakley, model Jodie Kidd, actress Cherie Lunghi, former M People singer Heather Small, model and presenter Lisa Snowdon, former S Club 7 singer Rachel Stevens and ex-EastEnders Gillian Taylforth and Jessie Wallace.

The men are GMTV presenter Andrew Castle, Holby City star Tom Chambers, former EastEnders actor Phil Daniels, swimming champion Mark Foster, rugby star Austin Healey, chef Gary Rhodes, political broadcaster John Sergeant and actor Don Warrington.

Sergeant ducked questions about whether ballroom dancing would prove more challenging than chasing Margaret Thatcher. ITN's former political editor famously ended up being bundled down the steps of the Paris embassy by Sir Bernard Ingham, the Downing Street press secretary, when he attempted to question the then-Prime Minister during the 1990 Tory leadership contest.

But he said that after just 12 hours of training so far, beginning earlier this week, he had already suffered more physical trauma then he ever did during his time in battlezones.

Sergeant said: "It's tough. I've injured both my left foot and my right foot. I've had more injuries from this than my time as the BBC's war correspondent so from that point of view it's a very tough assignment and I'm showing - I think the word is - bravery."

The broadcaster also suggested that Strictly Come Dancing could be an antidote to the nation's economic troubles. He said: "In all sorts of ways it is much more interesting and intriguing than I thought it would be. An hour every day goes by when I think 'was I right to make this decision?' and I think 'yes actually, I'm going to really enjoy this and curiously enough I might even learn to dance'."

Sergeant, who has teamed up with professional dance partner Kristina Rihanoff, added: "It really is glamorous. Normally on television it's a bit of a shambles and people just getting neurotic. This really is, and Kristina, obviously when I saw her, I thought this is going to be all right. A lot of journalists will be jealous when they see her."