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Strictly dance partners revealed (and after THAT race row Anton’s got Ann Widdecombe)

By johnyhilfiger on | From boomnews.info

By
Lizzie Smith
Last updated at 1:14 AM on 12th September 2010

After he dragged Strictly into a damaging race row many thought Anton Du Beke wouldn’t be asked back.

The dancer somehow managed to hang onto his role, but it seems BBC bosses may have had a more suitable punishment in mind.

As
the celebrity partners were revealed tonight, du Beke was told he had
the difficult task of turning politician Ann Widdecombe into a dancer.

She
was thrilled, labelling du Beke ‘my fantasy’ as the judges wiped tears
of laughter from their eyes – perhaps at the substantial height
difference.

Punishment? After last year’s race row Anton du Beke has been teamed with politician Ann Widdecombe

I’m just glad to be here: du Beke punches the air; but Widdecombe has already dubbed herself the pantomime act

Whether this is a match made in heaven remains to be seen – the
62-year-old former Conservative minister has already dubbed herself the
pantomime act.

But du Beke, who has appeared in all eight series of Strictly, is unlikely to be heard complaining.

The
44-year-old was last year dubbed a ‘dead man walking’ by the press
after telling his dance partner Laila Rouass she ‘looked like a P***’
after she received a spray tan for the show.

All mine: Charlotte Church’s ex Gavin Henson meets his partner Katya Virshilas

EastEnders star Kara Tointon seems thrilled by Artem Chigvintsev

His ‘unreserved apology’ saw him narrowly survive the media storm
which followed, but with Widdecome as a partner it seems the scandal
hasn’t been forgotten.

The unlikely pairing is not entirely
unexpected. There had been wide speculation on internet forums that du
Beke would be paired with a celebrity with no chance of winning.

But
while unlikely to become a skilled dancer, Widdecombe is popular with
the public, and could well receive votes because of her forthright
personality.

Now a novelist, Widdecombe insists she is ‘very ambitious’ and revealed
she was inspired to take to the dancefloor by the unlikely success of
former journalist John Sergeant in 2008.

Enthusiastic: Not The Nine O’Clock News’s Pamela Stephenson meets James Jordan

It’s magic! Paul Daniels was teamed with last year’s winner Ola Jordan

She said: ‘I said ‘no’ year after year, then along came John Sergeant
and I thought the one thing he demonstrated was that you really can do
this programme at your own pace and not have to turn into a
semi-professional which is how I had previously viewed the programme.’

But she did have some encouraging words for du Beke.

‘Anton and I are very ambitious,’ she revealed. ‘We’re not quitting, we may end up eliminated but we are not quitting.’

Bootylicious: Destiny’s Child star Michelle Williams meets Brendan Cole

Coronation Street star Tina O’Brien meets her dance partner Jared Murillo

Good Life star Felicity Kendal and former EastEnders actress Kara Tointon have emerged as early favourites to carry off the reality
television title.

Kendal, who impressed the other contestants with her ballet moves in
rehearsals, revealed her secret weapon was the time she had spent at the
venue for another reality show – Pineapple Dance Studios.

She said: ‘In my 30s I used to go to the Pineapple Studios to do bar
work so I’ve always done that kind of stuff but that is not the same as
dancing.’

Tointon has already won one version of Strictly – the Sport Relief version
where she danced with Mark Ramprakash – so the judges are giving her less
time to train in case she gets an unfair advantage.

Mum will be proud: Goldie meets Kristina Rihanoff

THE STRICTLY PARTNERS:

Tina O’Brien – Jared Murillo

Ann Widdecombe – Anton Du Beke

Felicity Kendal – Vincent Simone

Pamela Stephenson – James Jordan

Patsy Kensit – Robin Windsor

Kara Tointon – Artem Chigvintsev

Michelle Williams – Brendan Cole

Paul Daniels – Ola Jordan

Matt Baker – Aliona Vilani

Jimi Mistry – Flavia Cacace

Goldie – Kristina Rihanoff

Gavin Henson – Katya Virshilas

Peter Shilton – Erin Boag

Scott Maslen – Natalie Lowe

The actress said: ‘We are going to start a week behind so I think that makes it fair.’

Meanwhile
the biggest star in Strictly might be in the audience rather than on
the dancefloor after Destiny’s Child star Michelle Williams admitted
Beyonce Knowles could ‘sneak in’ to watch her.

Williams, Knowles
and Kelly Rowland sold more than 50 millions records in their time
together and the singer, who teams up with Brendan Cole on the hit
ballroom show tonight, said she hoped her former bandmates would support
her.

She said: ‘I hope they get to come in and sneak in and sit up there somewhere or at least be backstage.

‘I
want my girls to be here, you know, we support each other and we are
always on our BlackBerries chiming in and talking to each other and
encouraging each other on our individual projects.’