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They’ve kept it awfully low-profile, but you might’ve heard that the BBC’s second most successful show, Strictly Come Dancing, returns to screens this Saturday. (If you can’t guess the broadcaster’s most successful show, then you have no place searching this site.)
Whovians might recognise at least one celebrity taking to the dance floor: Mark Benton!
Benton appeared in the first episode of ‘nuWho’ back in 2005, Rose, in which he played Clive, a man obsessed with a certain two-hearted traveller and his constant companion, Death.
He always plays a loveable chap, and sadly, in Doctor Who, Clive was killed by an Auton. There are worse ways to go. Probably.
Or, if Rose is but a distant memory (it was a shocking 8 years ago!), you might recognise Mark from Waterloo Road, in which he played Mr. Chalk, teacher and foster parent of Kevin (actor, Thomas Knight, better known as Luke Smith in The Sarah Jane Adventures). Mark said:
“I just thought that it would be fun. I’ve never thought about doing one of these types of shows before, but out of all of them this is the one to do. I like to start a job thinking ‘I’m not sure if I can do this’ and I really love a challenge. It’s very easy to get comfortable when you are an actor, so I like to look at taking part in Strictly as an adventure. I must also remain positive and keep my fear under wraps. It’s nice to try and learn a skill and maybe get a bit fitter too, which is another great reason to take part.”
Mark has had some dance experience, having recently starred in Hairspray, but otherwise described himself as “a blank canvas.”
Other celebs putting on their dancing shoes include Dragons’ Den star, Deborah Meaden; model, Abbey Clancy; golfer, Tony Jacklin; Dave Myers (one half of the Hairy Bikers); and Sophie Ellis-Bexter, singer of, uh, Murder on the Dancefloor.
Countdown’s Rachel Riley is the bookie’s current favourite.
Dr. Moon actor, Colin Salmon (from Silence in the Library/ Forest of the Dead), Trial of a Time Lord’s Lynda Bellingham and The Impossible Planet/ The Satan Pit’s Will Thorp have all appeared on the show previously.
The Strictly Come Dancing launch show is on BBC1 on Saturday at 6:50pm.
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