Jessie Wallace

Jessie Wallace

As EastEnders' own Kat Slater, Jessie Wallace is no stranger to spectacle. Her talent and a run of searing storylines has earned her a string of awards from Best Actress to Sexiest Female.

Since leaving Albert Square in 2005, Jessie has appeared in BBC One's A Class Apart, BBC Four's Miss Marie Lloyd - Queen of The Music Hall and ITV1's Wild At Heart. Jessie has also been keeping up appearances on the stage, making her West End debut in Rent Remixed in 2007.

Darren Bennett

Darren is a down to earth, cheeky guy who loves his Northern roots. Darren and his partner and wife Lilia Kopylova, also appearing in Strictly, are currently ranked the number one British Latin American couple.

Last year, Darren partnered with Letitia Dean and together they reached the quarter final. Although they were both struck down by illness in one particularly hard week, Letitia's confidence and talent grew throughout the competition.