Ginger Strictly Come Dancing Contestants
Strictly Come Dancing season is upon us and I don’t know about you but we are so happy about it!
Strictly Come Dancing is a BBC classic that has been on television since 2004. The show hosts a competition between well-known celebrities who are taught a series of dance styles in a battle for the glitter ball trophy.
I guess you could say that it is similar to the international and well-known show ‘Dancing with the Stars’ – which is actually based off of the British TV series Strictly Come Dancing!
And let me tell you, nothing beats a cosy Saturday, watching your favourite CELEBs fight for the glitter ball in the run up to Christmas – right? Almost.
For us, it is all about taking to the sofa to see how our fellow ginger contestants will perform on the dance floor!
The best thing about Strictly Come Dancing is that it is full of iconic characters.
- Please, allow me to jog your memory:
- The “BOO!” in response to Craig Revel Horwood
- Ballroom mastermind Anton Du Deke making the judges panel
- Giovanni Pernice’s Halloween streak
- Dianne Buswell’s bright red hair
- The way former judge Len Goodman would shout “7”
- The Strictly curse
And of course…
The words of the late Bruce Forsyth: “Keep dancing!”
Since 2004, there has been some iconic redheads who have competed in front of the nation – but where are they now?
Before you read on, I must warn you, Strictly Come Dancing still has a long way to go with representing redheaded celebrities – particularly the male members of the less than 2% crew.
Patsy Palmer
Patsy Palmer is best known for playing Bianca Jackson on the BBC Soap Eastenders.
You know, the redheaded woman who regularly wears a silver puffer jacket and shouts “Rickayyy!” after her husband Ricky Butcher?
Patsy Palmer appeared on Strictly Come Dancing in 2005, to raise money for Children in Need.
Lucky for Patsy, she was partnered with the ‘ballroom legend’, Anton Du Beke. The pair finished in fifth place and was kicked out just one week before getting her hands on the glitter-ball trophy in the Final.
Speaking of her time on Strictly Come Dancing, Patsy recalled: “When I was doing Strictly Come Dancing I used to get sick from spinning. I hadn’t really watched it so I didn’t realise how much spinning was involved.”
But this is not the only work that Patsy has done for charity.
In 2009, the Actress featured in a short film for the homelessness charity Shelter, and also took part in the Comic Relief sketch ‘Comic Relief Does The Apprentice’.
In 2014, Patsy announced that she would not be returning to the screens as Bianca Jackson and would be fulfilling her dream as a DJ instead.
The memorable Eastenders star went on to show off her DJ skills in clubs across the UK and in the US.
Now 50 years old, and nearly 20 years on from her Strictly Come Dancing debut, Patsy revealed that she will be competing in the other iconic British TV show, Dancing on Ice 2023.
Before she took to the ice in January 2023, Patsy said that she was “obviously nervous about hurting myself, especially at my age as I’m 50 now – I don’t want to break any bones or anything”.
Stacey Dooley
Well! At least it was worth waiting 13 years!
Stacey Dooley is not only one of the most iconic redheads, but she is also a Journalist and Television Presenter who is best known for being proud of her working-class roots and her several documentaries – especially the ones where she comes face-to-face with ISIS.
Stacey was born in Luton, where she worked in the duty-free section of the airport and was raised by her mum singlehandedly.
In 2018, it was announced that Stacey would be appearing in series 16 of Strictly Come Dancing.
Stacey was not shy when she spoke about how much she loved the show. Stacey spoke to producers about how she was “riddled with anxiety” before taking part in the competition but saw it as a time for “light relief” away from her usual “harrowing” work.
In week one, Stacey said: “I feel so delighted to be here. I really – really do.”
Stacey went on to win the show with her partner Kevin Clifton, who she often referred to as “King Kev”. Kevin fell to the floor to celebrate his first-ever victory and Stacey screamed with joy.
After their victory, it was revealed that Stacey and Kevin were in a relationship.
With their private lives on the cover of newspapers, Stacey went on to host the BBC series Glow Up: Britains Next Make-Up Star and then released her new doc-series ‘Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over’.
Five years after their famous Strictly Come Dancing win, Stacey and Kevin welcomed their daughter Minnie in January 2023.
Maisie Smith
Maisie Smith is best known for playing Tiffany Butcher in BBC’s Eastenders alongside Patsy Palmer and her iconic line “NFI, Not flippin’ invited!”
But that is not the only connection between the former Strictly Come Dancing contestants.
Tiffany Butcher is the daughter of Bianca Jackson, played by Patsy Palmer, and Ricky (Rickayyy!) Butcher in Eastenders.
When she appeared on Strictly Come Dancing in 2020, Maisie was arguably the “one to beat”.
Maisie was partnered with Gorka Marquez and made it to the Final!
Although their ‘Barbie’ Cha Cha will go down in history, Maisie and Gorka finished in second place alongside contestants Jamie Laing, and HRVY.
After developing her dancing abilities on the show, Maisie went on to make her musical theatre debut as Fran in Strictly Ballroom: The Musical, dancing alongside former Strictly winner and Professional Dancer Kevin Clifton who plays Scott Hastings.
Angela Scanlon
Do not fret! This year, Angela Scanlon is here to save the day!
Angela is an Irish Television Presenter and Broadcaster who is competing for the glitter-ball trophy in 2023.
Before making her Strictly Come Dancing debut, Angela told reporters that she is most looking forward to the Halloween week and “would love to be Wednesday Adams of Uncle Fester” because she thinks that she can “pull off a bald cap”!
Angela is partnered with Carlos Gu, who only joined the group of professional dancers last year in 2022.
On Saturday 23 September, the pair danced the Tango to Prisoner by Miley Cyrus ft. Dua Lipa.
After her performance, Angela responded to the judges’ comments and score of 23 with: “She will listen, she can get better.”
Strictly is currently on every Saturday on BBC1 at 18:20pm to 20:35pm, but as couples are voted out of the competition – the show will soon commence at 19:30pm!
Last updated on May 2, 2024