Forget sequins and glitter balls - the stars of this year’s Strictly Come Dancing have a secret petrolhead past.
The BBC show returns to screens on Saturday 16th September and will see 15 celebrities teaming up with professionals to learn how to cut some rug.
Those showbiz names include Emmerdale actor Adam Thomas, news anchor Krishnan Guru-Murthy, and former tennis great Annabel Croft.
Besides their sporting or entertainment prowess, many of the Strictly stars share a passion for cars.
And some of the hidden motoring enthusiasts might actually surprise you…
Angela Rippon
Telly journalist Angela, 78, is perhaps best known for the regular appearances on The One Show as well as hosting Rip Off Britain with Gloria Hunniford.
But you might not know that the respected broadcaster was once the prototype ‘Jeremy Clarkson’ - having been the main host of the original Top Gear, which first began in 1977.
Messrs Clarkson, May and Hammond wouldn’t appear together until 2003.
At the time, Top Gear was a regional production put together by BBC Midlands, then the heart of the UK motoring industry.
The very first episode, which Angela appeared in alongside Tom Coyne, saw her taking a trip up the M1 in her very own Ford Capri (below), which she’d bought a few months previously.
Angela also served as the show’s roving reporter, interviewing, among others, female rally drivers while also informing viewers about how the police snare speeding drivers, and how rust can blight cars.
In that famous first episode, Angela also poked fun at the term ‘women drivers’, and stuck two fingers up to gender stereotypes.
She said: “If you think about it, there aren’t men drivers and women drivers, there are people who drive cars. Some of those people are very good drivers, some of them are very, very bad. And some of the bad drivers are men as well as women.”
She’s also owned a string of awesome cars in her time - including a Mazda MX-5, MG MGB, MG BGT, Triumph G6, Saab 900 turbo, and a recent plug-in hybrid Audi A3 Sportback.
Annabel Croft
Talented Annabel is a former professional tennis player turned radio and television presenter. In 1984 she became junior Wimbledon Champion.
And besides clutching her tennis racket, Annabel also enjoys gripping the steering wheel.
Her first ever car was a dinky Renault 5 (below). In a chat with the Northern Echo newspaper, she admitted she ‘absolutely loved it’, adding how it was ‘small and nippy and quite feminine!’.
Annabel’s love of small cars was clearly ingrained, as she also recently enjoyed owning a Fiat 500.
The open road is what Annabel, 57, really craved.
In 2021, she and her late husband Mel Coleman converted a postal truck into a camper so they could enjoy the perfect ‘van life’ together.
The vehicle was dubbed ‘Vannabel’, and Annabel said: “It's about the freedom, the sense of adventure, going off-grid.”
Tragically, Annabel’s husband Mel passed away in May of this year.
The tennis great has also spoken about her ultimate dream car - a motor she actually once owned.
She told a reporter: “My dream car is a Jaguar XK8 (above) which I have always had a soft spot for. Very classy. I had one a while ago, but sold it to pay a tax bill and will hopefully one day have one again.”
Zara McDermott
Documentary-maker and former Love Island star Zara, 26, has long been a car enthusiast.
Back in 2018, shortly after making her Love Island appearance, Zara picked up the keys to a new, all-white Range Rover Evoque.
She said on her Instagram: “I wanted a Range Rover for 4 years since I passed and I finally got one. So happy.”
Over the years she’s enjoyed a Mercedes-Benz GLE SUV as well as a Mercedes-Benz CLA Shooting Brake, which rivals the brilliant Audi A4 Avant.
It’s not all been free-wheeling car enjoyment for Zara, though…
In October last year she revealed how she came close to being the victim of a terrifying car-jacking in London after balaclava-clad assailants surrounded her motor.
She was lucky to escape, having the quick wits to slam the car into reverse before making a getaway.
She told her Insta followers: “I could have had everything stolen, the car stolen, they could have done something to me, they could have hurt me and it's just really scary.”
Les Dennis
While entertainer and actor Les Dennis admits he’s an Audi aficionado - having recently owned an A5 - he also recently got to behind the wheel of a stunning 1960s Ford Mustang.
He enjoyed the motor while filming the BBC’s Celebrity Antiques Road Trip in 2022, where he joined soap star Nitin Ganatra to show off his trinket hunting skills.
And Les, 69, actually has a secret Ford history.
Back in 1997, he was pictured with a Ford Probe as part of the company’s marketing push.
Sadly, despite Les’s best efforts, the Probe was discontinued later that same year.
However, you can lease the latest Ford Mustang with Select from £703 per month*.
*Prices include VAT. Credit is Subject to Status, Ts and Cs and Arrangement Fees apply. Excess mileage may apply. Stock levels and prices correct as of 12/09/23.
Enjoyed this? Read our latest news
- Lotus reveals electric Emeya ‘hyper GT’
- New VW Golf ‘Black Edition’
- CUPRA Tavascan: Spotted!
- Audi updates its flagship Q8
- BMW iX1 about to get more affordable
Where To Next?
For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to our newsletter.
Looking for a great leasing deal? Check out our incredible range of special offers.
Read our latest reviews and find the right model for you.
Want to know more about leasing? Take a look at our comprehensive leasing guides.
Interested in everything motoring? Why not catch up on all the latest car leasing news.
