The pros all boast a lifetime of training and dance floor talent, but all the new hopefuls on Strictly Come Dancing have in common is a shared willingness to do their best and give it a go.
Will they be rumbled by the rumba? Left wallowing after the waltz? Or maybe they'll shimmy and shake their way to the finals – only time will tell. But if you're keen to place bets on their chances, read on...
Alison Hammond
"I'm really nervous about wardrobe malfunctions; there's a lot to hold in here," Hammond confesses before breaking into giggles. The This Morning presenter, 39, has promised to fly the flag for "curvy girls" on the show, and has already displayed some impressive moves in the group dance.
Rehearsals haven't gone quite so smoothly for the Brummie, who's paired with last year's winner Aljaz Skorjanec. "I've fallen over," she admits.
Caroline Flack
Former The Xtra Factor host Flack is paired with Pasha Kovalev, who is now dating his 2013 partner Rachel Riley, but she isn't worried about the 'strictly curse' that befalls some contestants.
In fact, she's been teasing boyfriend Jack Street about it.
Flack, 34, says she'll still make time to watch rival show The X Factor on catch-up.
Frankie Bridge
Bridge is no stranger to a dance routine, having performed with S Club Juniors and The Saturdays. But the 25-year-old, who's partnered with Kevin Clifton, says Strictly is a different (glitter) ball game.
"It can go perfectly in rehearsals, and then you get out there, do it live and you just don't know what's going to happen."
Luckily, her footballer husband Wayne and son Parker, won't be far away.
Gregg Wallace
"I'm a judge on one show, and now I'm being judged on another," says MasterChef presenter Wallace, 49. "We had [Strictly judge] Craig Revel Horwood on Celebrity MasterChef, so I'm racking my brains to work out how tough I was with him." Wallace loves dancing at weddings and parties – "I'm always the one trying to get my mate's gran up on the floor."
Now he's teamed with former winner Aliona Vilani.
Jake Wood
Before signing up, Wood, 42, who plays EastEnders bad boy Max Branning, got some tips from his former co-star (brother Jack Branning) and ex-Strictly contestant Scott Maslen. "We did a bit of a waltz around his kitchen and by the end of that, I was hooked," says the soap actor, who is partnered with Janette Manrara. You'd never catch Max Branning shimmying around Albert Square in a sequinned shirt, though. "He might watch it with his girls, but he'd never put himself through it."
Jennifer Gibney
The Mrs Brown's Boys star is hoping her acting experience will help keep her nerves at bay during live shows: "Each week, you get to perform a different character in the dance, so you do get to hide behind it a bit." Gibney, 50, who's been paired with Strictly newcomer and fellow Dubliner Tristan MacManus, says her husband and co-star Brendan O'Carroll is her biggest fan. "He's so excited about it," she says with a smile. "He's said himself, he wasn't waiting for this to be proud of me. He's always been proud of me."
Judy Murray
When she told her sons – former Wimbledon champion Andy and fellow tennis pro Jamie – she might compete on the show. "Jamie said, 'Oh mum, you'll love that, you love that show', and Andy said, 'Oh my God, you'll be absolutely terrible'," she reveals, laughing. But the 55-year-old, who's partnered with Anton Du Beke, is hoping Andy will come and support her during the live rounds, though adds: "I can see him taking a seat on the back row and slowly sliding underneath the chairs..."
Mark Wright
"I've been asking around – is it OK to have a couple of drinks?" asks former The Only Way Is Essex heart-breaker Wright. "That's the only way I dance at a party."
The 27-year-old's fiancee, ex-Corrie star Michelle Keegan has also been having "a little giggle" about his participation. "She knows I'm going to find it hard, but she's excited for me," says Wright, who is paired with Karen Hauer.
Pixie Lott
The Mama Do singer, 23, is already being suggested as a favourite, having studied dance at performing arts school. "I don't think you can pay attention to [being a favourite] because it always changes, and you never know what's going to happen," says the blonde star, bouncing a mini-glitter ball on the table. And while Lott – who's paired with Australian newbie Trent Whiddon – isn't much of a fake tan fan, she reveals: "We've got them on tap here, you can just have one whenever you want!"
Scott Mills
The group dance didn't require Radio 1 DJ Mills to stray too far from his day job – he opened the number by spinning on some glittery decks. But it remains to be seen whether the 40-year-old's love of a good beat will transfer to the dance floor. "I cannot dance, so I've been doing the maximum training allowed," says Mills, who's partnered with Joanne Clifton. "Go in the morning, do my radio show, go again in the evening. Five hours a day? Yes please."
Simon Webbe
Will the judges All Rise for Blue singer Webbe? Well, the evidence looks promising, as the 36-year-old considers himself a "pretty good mover". He also looked comfortable during the opening show's group number, and previously appeared in the 2011 Strictly Christmas special (dancing the cha-cha). "Being in groups, you do tend to pick up dance routines. But this is a different standard," says Webbe, who's partnered with Kristina Rihanoff, confesses to being "more of a tracksuit guy" than a sequin-lover.
Steve Backshall
As a wildlife presenter, Backshall has encountered some of the world's deadliest creatures. But performing on Strictly – where he's partnered with Ola Jordan – could be his most terrifying challenge yet.
"The idea of doing it in front of millions of people, and particularly a potential cobra like Craig, is way, way, way more scary than snakes, spiders and scorpions."
Sunetra Sarker
Casualty star Sarker showed off her stethoscope in the group dance but it's not clear yet whether the judges will give her dancing a clean bill of health. It seems partner Brendan Cole has already been putting the 41-year-old mum-of-one through her paces – she's been complaining about blisters!
Thom Evans
Former rugby player Evans, 29, is determined to immerse himself in the Strictly experience. "In preparation, I watched The Full Monty, Dirty Dancing, all the big dancing films," he says. I'm going to throw myself fully into it, because I believe that's what Strictly is about – the fake tan, the glitter, the sparkle. Bring it on!" Dancer Iveta Lukosiute's joy was clear to see when she was paired with the model.
Tim Wonnacott
Bargain Hunt expert Wonnacott, who is partnering Natalie Lowe, confesses he has "zero dancing experience", saying, "I thought the paso doble was a double portion of something in an Italian restaurant". But the 63-year-old antiques guru, who seemed to struggle a bit with the legwork on the launch show, has vowed to fight back if the judges are unfair in their critique. "I think I might cry if somebody's really nasty to me," he adds. "I'm not that thick-skinned."
*Strictly Come Dancing is on BBC One again tonight, and then returns to the usual Saturday and Sunday night format from October 4.
