Connie Ferguson, Graeme Richards, Kuli Roberts, Lalla, Jay Anstey, Zakeeya Patel, Damon Kalvari, Mpho Popps Modikoane, L'Vovo and Thapelo Mokoena are the 10 South African celebrities who will be dancing in the 6th season of the floor format dance reality show Strictly Come Dancing starting in less than three weeks on SABC3 on 10 July at 20:00 TV with Thinus can be first to reveal.
The biggest battle for the ballroom floor awaits as the dance reality show shifts from SABC2 to SABC3 for the 6th season.
There's been no response from the broadcaster as to why Strictly Come Dancing is shifting channels. The 6th season of the popular live entertainment reality show was originally planned for the latter part of last year but was then shifted to 2013.
Strictly Come Dancing's 6th season will run for 10 weeks from the SABC's Renaissance Centre in Auckland Park on Wednesday nights between 20:00 to 22:00 as the dance couples compete against each other trying to impress a panel of judges and viewers who get to vote for who they want to help keep in the show.
Dance pairs will start to be cut from Strictly Come Dancing from the third episode.
Strictly Come Dancing is once again produced for the SABC by the format show powerhouse Rapid Blue, the production company behind reality entertainment shows which has already seen multiple seasons on South African television ranging from SA's Got Talent on e.tv and Come Dine with SA on BBC Entertainment, to The Bar-One Manhunt on SABC1.
The South African celebrities who will be stepping into their dancing shoes range from the darling TV soap queen Connie Ferguson currently on the Mzansi Magic channel in her own TV drama series and the socialite Kuli Roberts, to SABC3's fit morning breakfast show presenter Graeme Richards who can be seen on Expresso.
Lalla Hirayama, the Vuzu TV channel presenter who has a dance history, actress and reality star Jay Anstey, the Indian actress Zakeeya Patel seen in the SABC3 drama High Rollers and the comedian Mpho Popps Modikoane are also onboard the 6th season of Strictly Come Dancing.
The radioman Damon Kalvari from 5FM, musician L'Vovo Derrango and the actor and presenter Thapelo Mokoena round out the top 10 stars who are all paired with dance professionals and who will be dancing live in front of a studio audience as viewers watch at home.
With less than three weeks to go before Strictly Come Dancing starts on SABC3, the channel and its PR company has so far declined to release any names or photos.
While news about the upcoming season and the show's return to SABC3 has been known for quite a while now, SABC3's PR company only officially confirmed the show's return to the schedule late yesterday afternoon with an official announcement which including no celebrity contestants' names.
SABC3 said that the channel is in no doubt that the 6th season of Strictly Come Dancing will become the programme of choice on Wednesday evenings.
"Full of warmth, joy and the 'wow'-factor, we are thrilled to be bringing back Strictly Come Dancing, the most glamorous entertainment show in the world, for its 6th season," said Kee-Leen Irvine, the managing director of Rapid Blue and the executive producer of the show in the issued statement. "It's war on the dance floor and we can't wait to see this year's celebrities in action."