Strictly Come Dancingreturns to our screen this Saturday and the battle for the glitter ball trophy returns! We have quite a line up of celebrity dancers who will be joining the show this year; from ParalympianEllie Simmonds, to Loose Women's Kaye Adams. The judging panelwill be made up of Shirly Ballas - who is returning as head judge, Motsi Mabuse, Craig Revel Horwood and in his first series as a permanent judge - Anton Du Beke.
Eastenders actor, James Bye will also be taking to the dance floor this year. James has played character Martin Fowler on Eastenders since 2014, and has been nominated for several British Soap awards, winning one for Best Storyline in 2016. He said of joining the show , 'I’m not known for my shimmy or my twinkle toes - in fact my kids regularly laugh at my dad dancing but it’s an honour to be asked and I’m going to give it my best shot.'
While there have been many Eastenders contestants lacing up their dancing shoes and competing on the show over the years - it was last year's winner Rose Ayling-Ellisthat captured the hearts of the nation. Her performance on the show won her a must see moment BAFTA award - alongside her partner Giovanni Pernice - for their silent dance that paid tribute to the deaf community.
So, has reigning champion Rose given James any advice as he makes his Strictly Come Dancing debut? He reveals to Grazia that she has. James says, 'She's been fantastic. The blanket advice I'm getting is to just throw yourself into it and enjoy it every time you're doing a dance - from day one.'
While Strictly Come Dancing brings joy to many viewers, it can also be high pressure for celebrities taking part in the live show element. James says he's been advised by Rose to stay as calm as possible. He explains, 'I've been told not to get too stressed out when you're doing each dance. Because by the time you get one style under your belt you might be in week three or four - if you're lucky - and then you've wasted four weeks stressing. It's just about taking in every moment.'
After being quizzed by Grazia on whether there was any (friendly) rivalry with Rose as an Eastenders alumni, James laughed. 'I said to Rose I'm not bothered, I'm not going into the competition to win it...as long as I beat Rose I'm happy! That's all I'm after, he joked.' In his original announcement statement to BBC he admitted, 'There are some huge dance shoes to fill and it’s truly exciting to follow in the footsteps of some amazing EastEnders talent. I’d love to do everyone proud.'
READ MORE: Meet The Strictly Come Dancing Contestants For 2022