Ball gowns, sparkling lights and dazzling performances will be waltzing back onto our screens tonight as Strictly Come Dancing returns for its 19th series.

Stars such as Olympic swimming champ Adam Peaty and BBC TV presenter Dan Walker will be taking to the stage, so we decided to take a step back through time to reflect on the popular show's Kent links.

Many celebrities are thrilled just to make it to the dance floor but which of the county's famous faces have managed to win over the judges in previous series?

HRVY

It was so close! Singer and TV presenter, Hrvy, finished as a runner up in last year's Strictly Come Dancing final.

From Hartley, near Gravesend, he and professional dancer Janette Manrara were pipped at the post by Bill Bailey and his dance partner Oti Mabuse who lifted the glitter ball trophy.

The 2020 series saw Hrvy score the first 10s of the series.

Hrvy's come a long way since KentOnline interviewed him back in January 2014 when he was just 14.

The 22-year-old singer was catapulted into the spotlight when East 17 singer Blair Dreelan saw a video of him on Facebook.

Now with more than four million Instagram followers, he has released multiple popular songs, with his biggest hit 'Personal' getting more than 170 million views on YouTube.

Kelly Brook

Model and actress, Kelly Brook, sadly had to drop out of the 2007 show after the death of her father.

From Rochester, Kelly began the fifth series of Strictly with dance partner, Brendan Cole.

However, after vowing to continue rehearsals for the live show in her dad's memory, she found it too difficult to continue.

Dr Ranj

In 2018, television's Dr Ranj Singh's stay on Strictly came to an end when he became the sixth celebrity to be booted out of the ballroom by the show's judges.

From Medway, Bafta-winning presenter Dr Ranj and dance partner Janette Manrara found themselves in the dance-off following a public vote.

The former Medway Maritime Hospital worker Dr Ranj, who was born in Chatham, said the show helped him make friends for life and his dancing journey was something that he only could have dreamed of.

Lee Ryan

In the 2018 series, Dr Ranj was joined by fellow Kent contestant, the former Blue singer Lee Ryan – but only briefly.

Unfortunately the Chatham-born performer failed to impress the judges with his cha-cha-cha during movie week and was the second celeb to be voted off.

Judges decided to save actor Charles Venn in the dance-off, which was Ryan's second in as many weeks.

Ann Widdecombe

Former Maidstone and the Weald MP Ann Widdecombe competed in the 2010 series of Strictly, producing a series of memorable routines.

The ex-backbencher was the first eminent politician to take to the dance floor and she gained a new set of fans who were delighted by her partnership with Strictly favourite Anton du Beke.

After describing herself as a pantomime act, somewhat against the odds she almost reached the semi-finals but did not quite do enough to win over the judges and became the ninth celebrity to leave.

It isn't only famed Strictly contestants that Kent has to offer, the county has plenty of ties to the show's judges too.

Len Goodman

Ex-head judge, Len Goodman, led Strictly Come Dancing's judging panel for 12 years.

The 72-year-old was on the BBC show when it started in 2004 and decided to take off his dancing shoes in 2016.

Len, who runs the Goodman Dance Academy in Dartford and lives in Ightham near Sevenoaks, is still a judge on American TV series Dancing With The Stars.

Shirley Ballas

And finally, Strictly head judge, Shirley Ballas, will be starring in a panto at a Kent theatre this Christmas.

Shirley, who has been the lead judge on the BBC prime-time show for five series, will appear in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at the Assembly Hall in Tunbridge Wells.

Known as the Queen of Latin, she will play the Wicked Queen.

Tickets for the panto went on sale on Friday, September 17. Find out more by clicking here.

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