Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special 2018: Time, date and cast as Caroline Flack and Ann Widdecombe take to the festive floor

Who will lift the Christmas glitterball? 
Natasha Sporn25 December 2018

Get ready to add some sparkle to your Christmas Day with the Strictly Come Dancing special.

Six celebrities are heading back to the ballroom for the festive competition, including a former champion, for one spin on the dancefloor in front of judges Craig Revel Horwood, Dame Darcey Bussell, Shirley Ballas and Bruno Tonioli.

Nestled nicely in the afternoon slot, the festive special promises to light up the room and bring the glamour to the Big Day with a heavy dose of glitter.

Here’s what you need to know about the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special…

Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special - In Pictures

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Who is taking part in the special?

Love Island host Caroline Flack – who won series 12 with Pasha Kovalev - will be dancing a Charleston with Gorka Marquez while series eight icon Ann Widdecombe will reunite with Anton Du Beke for an American Smooth.

Countryfile’s Anita Rani, who competed in series 13, is swapping Gleb Savchenko for resident bench pro Neil Jones and a Foxtrot. Fellow benched professional Luba Mushtuk also gets a celebrity partner in series 12’s Jake Wood to dance a Cha Cha Cha.

JLS frontman Aston Merrygold will be back for a Jive with partner Janette Manrara, having been eliminated, arguably very prematurely, in series 15 while Nadiya Bychkova, who left the current series surprisingly early on, will dance a Viennese Waltz with Michael Vaughan from series 10.

Is there a theme?

The theme for this year’s festive special is fairytale extravaganza. So expect dressing up, classic tales and lots of props.

Can I vote?

Nope. The show is always pre-recorded, usually sometime in early December, and hundreds of lucky fans get to go. Audience-goers, and them alone, get to chance to vote and decide the winner on the night.

When is it on?

Strictly Come Dancing: Christmas Special is on Christmas Day at 5.30pm on BBC One.

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