Emmerdale star Gemma Atkinson is the fourth famous face to be confirmed for this year’s series of Strictly Come Dancing.
The blonde beauty, who played Carly Hope in the Dales, will be putting on her dancing shoes and waltzing into the competition.
The news was confirmed during today’s show of BBC Breakfast.
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The show’s official Twitter page announced the exciting news also. They wrote: “Bringing the drama to the #Strictly 2017 ballroom is actress @MissGAtkinson!”
Speaking about her excitment for joining the show Gemma said: “I am honoured to be asked and so thrilled to be joining Strictly Come Dancing 2017!
“I’m beyond excited and incredibly nervous but I am looking forward to learning a new skill in ballroom and latin dancing and taking on this new challenge.”
Bringing the drama to the #Strictly 2017 ballroom is actress @MissGAtkinson! 🎭 ✨ 💃 https://t.co/AbiEHGPRj3 pic.twitter.com/ojaZRiVaIl
— BBC Strictly ✨ (@bbcstrictly) August 10, 2017
The star is known for her role in the ITV soap but also her work on the Key 103 breakfast team in Manchester where she hosts the breakfast show from 6am to 10am on weekdays.
Gemma recently left Emmerdale and revealed she would love to have a career in Mixed Martial Arts.
The super-fit actress revealed she would love to be a cage fighter and practices Thai boxing three times a week and is keen to move into MMA and UFC championship contests.
Speaking to The Sun she said: “To master one martial art, in my opinion, is very difficult.
“Someone who can do floor work and grappling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu as well as regular boxing and wrestling, just all in one, for an MMA fight, I think that’s fantastic.
“I started with kickboxing and when you see UFC on TV and you see these guys doing amazing stuff, you realise ‘Oh my gosh, there’s actually so much more I can learn’.”
She went on to say: “I don’t fight, obviously, because of my work. I don’t think ITV would allow it, being all bruised up.
“But I think more women should do it.”
But now for her latest stint Gemma, 32, will be going head-to-head with EastEnders’ Davood Ghadami, This Morning’s Ruth Langsford and The Saturdays’ Mollie King on Strictly.
Mollie, 30, was the first celeb to be confirmed for the show.
On Nick Grimshaw’s BBC Radio One breakfast show Mollie told the presenter: “I’m a huge fan of Strictly Come Dancing so I can’t actually believe I’m lucky enough to be taking part in it this year!
“I’m literally so excited to learn Latin and ballroom dancing, and of course I can’t wait to get into the sequins too!
“It’s going to be a lot of hard work but I’m ready for the challenge!”
Joining the ladies will be EastEnders’ heartthrob Davood.
Davood said in a statement released by the BBC: “It’s going to be exciting, challenging and terrifying all at once and I am so looking forward to stepping out of my comfort zone and learning to dance.”
He’s definitely going to be a favourite with the ladies for sure.
On Wednesday it was announced that Loose Women’s Ruth Langsford will be joining the competition.
Hubby Eamonn Holmes teased yesterday that one member from the This Morning team would be taking to the floor and viewers were left speculating who it could be.
They then teased the announcement during the show by showing three doors, claiming Deidre, Chris and Gino were behind them. One door was to open to reveal who was doing the BBC show.
But when the middle door was opened, there was Ruth!
The 57-year-old said: “I have dreamt about doing Strictly for so long, I can’t quite believe my dream has come true!
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“The sum of my dance experience is throwing a few shapes at a party, I’ve never had a dance lesson in my life.
“Without doubt it will be the scariest yet most exciting thing I’ve ever done. It will be a welcome change worrying about my next hot move instead of my next hot flush!”
The brand new series will shimmy its way onto our screens later this year.
It will be the first series without Len Goodman on the judging panel but there is a very exciting replacement.
International ballroom champion Shirley Ballas will be taking on head judge alongside Bruno Tonioli, Darcey Bussell and Craig Revel Horwood.