Strictly judge Shirley Ballas has given a sneaky glimpse of the new Glitterball trophy before it debuts on the 16th series which starts on Saturday 22 September. It was announced in August that the original trophy would have to be mounted onto another stand to make sure there's enough room to fit this year's winners' names engraved on the covetable prize! Shirley has only shared the top half of the trophy in her photo, so we can't see the full effect - yet. We'll have to wait until tonight to see if Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman fully reveal the new prize. The Glitterball trophy is perhaps one of the most iconic images of Strictly, so fans are excited to see exactly what the update looks like.
© Photo: InstagramTa-daaa - the new Glitterball trophy!
Strictly starts properly with its first live show on Saturday night, when Shirley will be joined by fellow returning judges Darcey Bussell, Craig Revel Horwood and Bruno Tonioli. Celebrities this year include Kate Silverton, Stacey Dooley, Lee Ryan, Katie Piper and Dr Ranj Singh. Our favourite dancers will also return to the dance floor - including Gorka Marquez, Janette Manrara and Aljaz Skorjanec - along with three newbies! Celebrities have already been partnered with their professionals, so all that's left to do is get dancing.
This series will be the first time that Kevin Clifton and Karen Clifton dance together since announcing their divorce earlier this year. Speaking to HELLO! about the amicable split and their ongoing friendship, Karen said: "What the future holds we have no idea. We are the best of friends, have a good laugh, and life goes on. The fact that I get to work with Kevin, and he inspires me, means a lot to me." It sounds like the pair will still have a wonderful time on Strictly, and have a lot of love for each other.
