NEXT STEPS
Horrific holiday boat fire accident and tragic death at 38 – where original Strictly Come Dancing stars are 20 years on
Watch the original stars of Strictly strut their stuff as the show celebrates its 20th birthday
TWENTY years ago, a parade of celebrities twirled onto our screens and captured the imagination of the nation.
Strictly Come Dancing debuted on March 15, 2004, and was an instant smash hit.
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Sparkling, glitzy and glamourous, Strictly was a celebrity version of the classic Come Dancing - and people couldn't get enough of it.
Two decades later Strictly has sparked dozens of spinoffs across the world - and last night it was honoured with a BAFTA for Best Entertainment Show.
But what happened to the first contestants of the show?
Some have gone on to continue successful careers but others have been struck by tragedy.
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Natasha Kaplinsky
The inaugural winner of the first series of Strictly and BBC newsreader won the hearts of Britain with her incredible skill.
Dancing with Brendan Cole, she was dubbed the “hottest, coolest” star by judge Arlene Phillips.
After she won the series, Natasha, now 51, endured a secret baby battle - the newsreader revealed she had suffered multiple miscarriages while trying to conceive with her husband Justin Bower.
“It’s actually taken me a decade to talk about it," she revealed in a Channel 5 Documentary in 2020.
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Trying and failing to have a baby was "depleting in every single way," she said.
She and Justin now share two children Arlo, 16, and Angelica, 14.
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In 2018, eight-year-old Angelica was seriously injured when the boat she was on with Natasha and her grandfather burst into flames off the Greek Island of Corfu.
Angelica had to be flown back to Britain for emergency treatment after the family was rescued by local fishermen.
Natasha was also burned but her father was less seriously injured.
Jason Wood
Comedian Jason Wood was the first to leave the show with his partner Kylie Jones even though he had been described as changing from “a caterpillar to a butterfly in one week”.
Best known for his impersonations of musical artists, Jason was a regular at the Edinburgh Fringe and frequently performed as a headliner at comedy clubs.
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Tragically, Jason died in his sleep in 2010, from natural causes, hours after a gig, when he was just 38 years old.
His obituary in The Guardian said he was known for his remarkable voice and “uncannily accurate impersonations of singers from Alison Moyet and Morrisey to Sarah Brightman and Luciano Pavarotti”.
He is survived by his parents and his sister Ann.
Christopher Parker
Christopher rose to fame for his portrayal of the EastEnders character Spencer Moon between 2002 and 2005.
While he was starring as Spencer in 2004, Christopher was moonlighting on the Strictly stage.
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The 40-year-old made it through to the final alongside his partner Hanna Karttunen but was beat to the prize by Natasha Kaplinsky.
However later the same year, Christopher had to be rushed to hospital after he tried to kill himself.
Christopher said later he had reached rock bottom with his mental health after a woman claimed he lied about their relationship to hide his sexuality.
"I'd had such a successful year and I felt as though it was all about to go down the drain," he said.
After his hospitalisation he and production staff of EastEnders mutually decided he would not return to the show.
Christopher, 40, quit fame to study law and now works as a solicitor with a focus in media.
Claire Sweeney
A performer from a young age, Claire first appeared onscreen as Lindsey Corkhill in the soap opera Brookside before moving on to Celebrity Big Brother, Loose Women and of course, Strictly.
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She was eliminated on week 5 of the show but continued to appear on screens as a host of 60 Minute Makeover, I’m Famous and Frightened and Here Comes The Sun.
She also performed on stage in multiple West End plays before landing herself a role as Cassandra Plummer in Coronation Street in 2023.
The stunning star has also recently revealed her relationship with former boxer Ricky Hatton and the pair appear to be smitten with each other.
David Dickinson
By the time he appeared on Strictly in 2004 David Dickinson was already a household name thanks to his show Bargain Hunt and his experience as a antiques expert on This Morning.
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Alongside professional dancer Camilla Dallerup, David came in seventh place in the competition.
He said in an interview in 2018 that Strictly has become much more competitive since he was on it.
“It seemed like a bit of fun when I did it, not quite as competitive, not quite so serious.
“We did two or three hours (rehearsing a day) instead of eight to 10 now,” he said.
Strictly Come Dancing professionals - where are they now?
Brendan Cole appeared in the very first season of Strictly, and stayed on as one of the show's professional dancers until he was axed in 2018. He was openly critical about the decision, saying he felt BBC “only wanted to share one side of him”. He now lives in Spain with his wife and children.
After being the first couple booted from the show, dancer Kylie Jones retired from professional competitions and now teaches dance and pilates from Surrey
Hanna Karttunen is still a professional dancer and has appeared as a guest performer on the show in Russia, South Africa, Italy and the US. She still dances competitively.
John Byrnes did not dance again in the show but instead took on a backstage role as a consultant. Since 2003 he and his professional dance partner Jane Lyttleton have focused on directing their London business JJ Dance Studios.
Camilla Dallerup became the first victim of the Strictly curse when her then fiance and dance partner Brendan Cole was rumoured to be having a fling with Natasha Kaplinsky. She continued on Strictly until 2008 before leaving and re-training as a life coach and hypnotherapist.
Paul Killick danced in the second series with Carol Vorderman but left the following year, saying the workload was very intense.
Paul now serves as a world-class adjudicator for a large number of the world's National and International DanceSport competitions and runs a studio in London.
Erin Boag continued dancing for Strictly for ten series and six Christmas specials. She’s also regularly seen on the spin-off show It Takes Two.
She is married to business consultant Peter O’Dowd who she met through Camilla Dallerup and has one child.
Anton du Beke has appeared in every series of Strictly Come Dancing since 2004 and in June 2021 he became a permanent judge, replacing Bruno Tonioli.
Verona Joseph
Verona was starring as Jess Kilburn on the medical drama Holby City when she took part in the first season of Strictly Come Dancing. She and her partner Paul Killick came sixth in the competition.
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After leaving Strictly, Verona continued on Holby City but also had a few cameos in other shows.
She played journalist Penny Carter in a 2008 episode of Dr Who alongside David Tennant and also appeared in an episode of Casualty.
She is now married to filmmaker Farren Blackburn and the pair share three children - Elsie-Mae, Ruby-Rose and Terrell.
Martin Offiah
At 6'1 and 14 stone, Martin doesn't have the traditional build of a dancer, but with the help of his dancing partner Erin Boag he made it to the sixth week of the competition and finished in fourth place.
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The professional rugby league and union player was inducted into the Rugby Hall of Fame in 2013 after scoring more than 500 tries during his career.
He also has an MBE and now works as an ambassador for the Wigan Warriors, and also for electric car company Connected Kerb.
Married to former model Virginia, the couple share two sons Tyler, 17, and 14-year-old Phoenix.
Lesley Garrett
Opera singer, panellist and broadcaster Lesley turned her hand to dancing for the first season and came away in third place.
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The 69-year-old has since been awarded a CBE and now appears as a regular panellist on Loose Women as well as continuing to pursue her successful music career.
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She appeared on BBCs Who Do You Think You Are, and discovered her musical ability could be traced all the way back to her great grandfather who had entertained troops during the First World War.
She was also a regular on Countdown, and has released multiple albums - many of which have received gold and silver status.
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