STRICTLY COME DANCING 2016 UK Live Tour Announced

Call the Midwife actress Helen George and The Wanted's Jay McGuiness are confirmed to compete in the 2016 Strictly Come Dancing UK tour, together with EastEnders actor Jake Wood who starred in the 2014 TV series. This completes the line-up for the tour, which opens in Birmingham on 22 January.

Jay, Helen and Jake join Frankie Bridge from The Saturdays, actress Georgia May Foote from Coronation Street, Celebrity chef Ainsley Harriott and TV presenter Anita Rani. They will be joining the 2016 tour host Mel Giedroyc, together with judges Len Goodman, Craig Revel Horwood (who also directs the tour) and Bruno Tonioli for the 30 date live extravaganza.

The professional dancers from this year's ratings winning BBC One TV series are also now announced and the pairings are:

Frankie Bridge and Kevin Clifton

Georgia May Foote and Giovanni Pernice

Helen George and Aljaz Skorjanec

Ainsley Harriott and Natalie Lowe

Jay McGuiness and Aliona Vilani

Anita Rani and Gleb Savchenko

Jake Wood and Janette Manrara

Karen Clifton will also join the tour for the professional dances and group numbers.

Helen George is best known for her role of Nurse Trixie Franklin in the multi award winning and hit BBC series Call the Midwife. She has also received critical acclaim for her varied stage credits in productions such as The Woman in White; High School Musical, and also appeared in Paul W S Anderson's feature film The Three Musketeers.

Helen says: "I had a brilliant time on Strictly, so I'm very excited to continue my journey and have the chance to show off some of my favourite dances to audiences on the UK Tour. I'm sure that it'll be amazing to dance in front of huge arena audiences with Aljaz! I'm very much looking forward to the audience helping me feel at home on the dance floor each night!"

Jay McGuiness is one fifth of the globally successful band, The Wanted. Since their 2010 debut album was released, they have enjoyed huge success all over the world, including two number one singles in the UK with All Time Low and Glad You Came.

Jay says: "I'm used to performing in front of massive crowds when touring with The Wanted, but performing with Aliona on the Strictly Live Tour will be a totally different experience. I'm loving my time on the TV series, but the idea of being back out in front of live arena audiences is something I'm very much looking forward to."

Jake Wood has been a part of some of the most memorable storylines on EastEnders for the past decade, performing the role of Max Branning. He impressed the judges and TV audiences alike with his slick dance moves on last year's BBC One series of Strictly Come Dancing, and now he has the chance to show off his skills to arena audiences on the Strictly Come Dancing Live Tour 2016.

Jake says: "I really enjoyed my time on Strictly last year but couldn't do the tour due to EastEnders' filming commitments, so it's great to get the chance to throw myself into the whole experience again as part of the 2016 Strictly tour. I'm so pleased that Frankie is doing the tour as well so we can enjoy reliving it all again together and I'm very happy that I'm being reunited with Janette. I can't wait to relive some of my favourite dances in arenas across the country!"

The tour opens at the Barclaycard Arena, Birmingham on 22 January 2016. It will then visit the biggest entertainment venues across the UK: Sheffield Arena, First Direct Arena Leeds, Manchester Arena, Liverpool's Echo Arena, Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle, The SSE Hydro in Glasgow, Nottingham's Capital FM Arena, The SSE Arena in Wembley, before culminating at The O2, London on Valentine's Day.

Tickets for STRICTLY COME DANCING THE LIVE TOUR 2016 are on sale now

22 - 24 January Birmingham: The Barclaycard Arena 0844 338 8000

(Friday 22nd at 7.30pm, Saturday 23rd at 2.30pm & 7.30pm, Sunday 24th at 1.30pm & 6.30pm)

26 - 27 January Sheffield Arena 0114 256 5656

(Tuesday 26th at 7.30pm, Wednesday 27th at 7.30pm)

28 - 29 January Leeds: First Direct Arena 0844 248 1585

(Thursday 28th at 7.30pm, Friday 29th at 7.30pm)

30 - 31 January Manchester Arena 0844 847 8000

(Saturday 30th at 2.30pm & 7.30pm, Sunday 31st at 1.30pm)

2 February Liverpool: Echo Arena 0844 8000 400

(Tuesday 2nd at 2.30pm & 7.30pm)

3 - 4 February Newcastle: Metro Radio Arena 0844 493 6666

(Wednesday 3rd at 7.30pm, Thursday 4th at 2:30pm & 7.30pm)

5 - 7 February Glasgow: The SSE Hydro 0844 395 4000

(Friday 5th at 7.30pm, Saturday 6th at 2.30pm & 7.30pm, Sunday 7th at 1.30pm)

9 - 10 February Nottingham: Capital FM Arena 0843 373 3000

(Tuesday 9th at 7.30pm, Wednesday 10th at 2.30pm & 7.30pm)

11 - 12 February London: The SSE Arena, Wembley 0844 815 0815

(Thursday 11th at 7.30pm, Friday 12th at 7.30pm)

13 - 14 February London: The O2 0844 856 0202

(Saturday 13th at 2.30pm and 7.30pm, and Sunday 14th at 1.30pm and 6.30pm)

Tickets costs: £35 - £65 (bands venue dependent)

The O2 prices are £36 - £66 (Inclusive of a £1 per ticket venue facility fee)

All ticket prices are subject to a booking fee

To book tickets please contact the venue or call 0844 875 8758

For online bookings visit www.ticketzone.co.uk or www.ticketmaster.co.uk

For more information visit www.strictlycomedancinglive.com

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