Strictly Come Dancing 2021: Chorley's Great British Bake Off winner John Whaite and Blackburn TV presenter AJ Odudu join star studded line up

Two Lancashire stars have joined the line-up for the 19th series of Strictly Come Dancing due to air in the autumn.
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The news that Blackburn TV presenter AJ Odudu was joining the BBC One show was revealed on Wednesday night (August 4) on The One Show.

AJ Odudu, 33, is best known as a TV presenter, having presented a number of shows including The Voice, The Voice Kids, Big Brother’s Bit On The Side, Don’t Rock The Boat and Apocalypse Wow.

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AJ Odudu said: “I am beyond chuffed that I am going to be on this year’s Strictly Come Dancing and I'm so glad I can finally tell my mum.

Chorley's Great British Bake Off winner John Whaite and Blackburn TV presenter AJ Odudu have joined the 2021 Strictly Come Dancing line-up.Chorley's Great British Bake Off winner John Whaite and Blackburn TV presenter AJ Odudu have joined the 2021 Strictly Come Dancing line-up.
Chorley's Great British Bake Off winner John Whaite and Blackburn TV presenter AJ Odudu have joined the 2021 Strictly Come Dancing line-up.

"Her face will be a picture, she’s going to be over the moon! I absolutely love the show and am fully committed to making the most of every second of the Strictly experience. Bring it on!”

This morning (August 5) it was also revealed, during Zoe Ball’s Breakfast show on BBC Radio 2, that Chorley's former Bake Off winner John Whaite would be joining the show.

The chef, 33, will take to the Strictly Come Dancing dance floor as one half of the first all-male partnership on the series.

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He follows in the footsteps of boxer Nicola Adams who last year was one half of the first female same-sex dance pairing, alongside professional Katya Jones.

He won the third series of The Great British Bake off in 2012 and currently presents a weekly cooking segment on the Channel 4 show Steph’s Packed Lunch.

John said: “I’m so grateful, excited, and nervous to be joining the Strictly 2021 family.

"I’ve been wearing sequins and jazzy attire since I was three years old and can’t wait to hurl myself, full throttle, around the most glamorous dance floor on earth.

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"What’s more exciting for me, is that I’m going to be one half of the first all-male partnership, which is a great step forward in representation and inclusion.

"Whoever it is I’m paired with, I hope they are up for a challenge as I want our routines to include lots of spectacular lifts!”

AJ Odudu and John Whaite join the already announced line-up of McFly star Tom Fletcher and Peep Show’s Robert Webb.

This year’s Strictly Come Dancing series will see professional dancer Anton Du Beke join the judging panel in the place of Bruno Tonioli, and will also feature four new professional dancers to put the celebrities through their paces.

The official broadcast date is yet to be announced.

The remaining celebrity contestants joining the new series will be announced in due course.

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