The celebrities and pros have finally met, rehearsals are well underway, and we know who, sadly, won't be partnered with a celeb this year. Sob. But the major detail we've been missing from Strictly Come Dancing 2019 is when it's actually going to start! But it seems fans of the BBC One hit don't have much longer to wait as Saffron Barker appears to have accidentally revealed the launch date – and it's only a few weeks away!
Sharing a photo to her Instagram stories on Wednesday, the YouTuber – who was the fourth celebrity to be announced for this year's show – shared a countdown clock to the Strictly launch which read: "16 days: 10 hours: 34 minutes." So by Saffron's calculations, the launch show will air on BBC One on Saturday 7 September. The launch show is pre-recorded, with the main event kicking off two weeks later, so Strictly should officially start on Saturday 21 September. How exciting!
The countdown is on!
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Last week, the BBC announced that the launch show will see Aussie megastar Kylie Minogue perform a medley of some of her biggest hits, which will be accompanied by a dazzling routine from Strictly’s professional dancers. After walking the red carpet, the stars will then head to the Strictly ballroom for the very first time, ready to find out which professional dancer they’ll be paired with on their journey towards the famous Glitter Ball trophy. New judge Motsi Mabuse will join Bruno Tonioli, Craig Revel Horwood and Shirley Ballas for a performance with the pros, and the celebs will take to the floor for the very first time in a spectacular group dance.
The class of Strictly 2019
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Meanwhile, the competition has already seen its first celebrity fall – and it was poor Saffron. Revealing the mishap on Twitter, the 19-year-old said: "Well... I can most certainly say, I was the first person to fall over flat on my face this year." Strictly pro Katya Jones later revealed on her Instagram stories that it was actually Gorka Marquez who caused the fall. She said: "We had the first fall today and it was Saffron – but Gorka it was all your fault, you got in the way, I can confirm. But (Saffron) was so graceful, great recovery, and straight back into the routine."
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