Strictly announce Paralympic champion Ellie Simmonds is the sixth celebrity to join show

Paralympic champion and broadcaster Ellie Simmonds said she was "bursting with excitement" at joining the star-studded line-up

Five-time Paralympic champion and broadcaster Ellie Simmonds has been announced as the sixth celebrity to join Strictly Come Dancing's 2022 line-up.

Simmonds, who at the age of 13 was the youngest British athlete at the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing, said she was "bursting with excitement".

She added: "To be asked to be part of the Strictly family is just so exciting and I cannot wait, it's going to be so much fun.

"I'm counting down the minutes until it starts; learning to dance, meeting my partner and everyone else involved in the show. Plus wearing the sequins and all that, it's going to be a blast.

Ellie is competing in the next series of Strictly

Image:

( Daily Mirror/Andy Stenning)

"I've been watching Strictly from as far back as I can remember; it's a traditional lead up to Christmas with my family and it's a genuine privilege to be part of it."

Ellie is best known as being a gold medal-winning Paralympic swimmer.

At the age of just thirteen she was the youngest British athlete at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, and won gold medals in the 100m and 400m freestyle events.

Ellie was the youngest person to even receive an MBE

Image:

( PA)

Then in 2012 she achieved gold in the 400m freestyle and the 200m Individual Medley at the Summer Paralympics in London and won a further gold in the 200m Individual Medley at Rio 2016.

Ellie has also gone on to win ten gold World Championship titles as well as winning BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year when she was just 13.

The Strictly star became the youngest person event to receive an MBE when she was 14 which was elevated to OBE in the 2013 New Year Honours for services to Paralympic sport.

Ellie has a form of dwarfism called achondroplasia.

Ellie is best known for the swimming career

Image:

( GETTY)

Ellie is the sixth contestant to be announced for Strictly Come Dancing 2022.

So far she will be joined by stand-up comedienne Jayde Adams, Loose Women star Kaye Adams, Radio 2 star Richie Anderson, former Coronation Street actress Kym Marsh and actor Will Mellor who was the first person to be revealed.

Other celeb contestants are set to be announced in the coming days.

There will be some noticeable changes to this year's Strictly, with pro dancers Oti Mabuse and Aljaz Skorjanec and judge Bruno Tonioli leaving the show.

Four new pros have been drafted in, including European cup winner Vito Coppola , Chinese National Champion Carlos Gu , former Under 21 British National Champion Lauren Oakley and Latin dance champion Michelle Tsiakkas.

Ellie retired from swimming in 2020

Image:

( Speedo)

It promises to be a special year for the show, which will be celebrating its 20th anniversary.

Last year's series saw first ever deaf contestant actress Rose Ayling-Ellis life the Strictly glitterball trophy alongside professional partner Giovanni Pernice.

Ellie praised Rose for representing the deaf and disabled community, declaring: "There should be much more acceptance and awareness of being different.

"This helps children realise disability is just a part of normal society."

*Strictly returns this autumn on BBC One

Read More

Read More

Most Read

Don't Miss

Get the biggest TV headlines, recaps and insider knowledge straight to your inbox

Invalid Email

Something went wrong, please try again later.

Thank you for subscribing

We have more newsletters