By Harry Mottram: Joe Sugg, George Clarke, Angela Rippon, Ruth Langsford, Bill Bailey and this year Tabby Stoecker from Bath University – all contestants – or rather celebrities – on BBC1 TV’s Strictly Coming Dancing with a West Country connection. As a reporter on local newspapers anyone with a link (however tenuous) was a Godsend for the newspaper as so many people watch the show. Any article on celebs from the SW boosted circulation and in the 21st century they created large numbers of clicks on social media – and that meant money from ads.
Some were more linked to the South West than others but as the old phrase goes, ‘why let facts get in the way of a good story,’ but that wasn’t the issue with internet joker Joe Sugden whose uncle I interviewed on top of a thatched roof in Wiltshire. ‘Was Joe a good worker,’ I asked, and the reply, ‘yes he would make a good thatcher and would make a living out of it he wanted’. Thatching’s loss was Strictly’s gain as Joe proved a good dance and he hitched up with dancer Dianne Buswell to become a celebrity couple and now a family with those thatched roofs of Wiltshire a distant memory.
In Bath Mark ‘Bill’ Bailey proved to be another star. He had attended school in the city at King Edward’s School having been born in Keynsham with parents who worked at the RUH and NHS as medics. As a teenager Bill initially played in a school rock band and showed a strong musical interest studying A Level music and going on to gain the nickname of Bill when he sang “Won’t You Come Home Bill Bailey” on the way back from a school rugby match on the coach. Initially he was predicted to be rejected in the first couple of weeks by the bookmakers but with a natural rhythm and strong musical vibes Bill of course triumphed with Oti back in 2020.
George Clarke dancing into the final last year with Axis Warr escaped my attention as he was from Bristol and I was working for a newspaper in Bath. The two cities may only be 10 miles apart but they are as different as chalk from cheese – but George was a naturally attractive low key personality coming across as genuine and ‘grounded.’ In contrast to Tom Skinner.
This year Bath University student and athlete Tabby Stoecher carries the hopes of our region. Tabby is actually a Londoner but has trained and studied in Bath and at a young age has achieved so much in the world of sport. It began after she initially trained in a circus school but joined the British Skeleton team after participating in UK Sport’s Discover Your Gold talent identification programme in 2019. (Skeletons are tiny sledges that zoom down ice tracks in the Winter Olympics.) From there she appeared in several winter sports competitions for Great Britain and appeared in the GB’s squad for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy where she was placed fifth after her opening two runs. Later she then won gold with her male colleague Weston in the inaugural mixed team event and was the youngest-ever inductee of the University of Bath Hall of Fame for Sport.
TV presenter and former newsreader Angela Rippon at the oldest contestant at 79 made it to the Blackpool stage in 2023. Despite her received English accent Angela is a Devonian from Plymouth and ‘done the city proud’. Born during WW2 Angela proved how flexible she could be during the dance routines with Kai Widdrington – a long way from the Morecombe and Wise Show when she caused a sensation with a dance number and news reading for the BBC – and her first job in Plymouth as a reporter in 1966. Another south west TV personality was Ruth Langsford who also had a good run in the show in 2017. Based in Cornwall and married to fellow TV star Eamonn Holmes (who she divorced in 2024) Ruth teemed up with professional partner Anton du Beke. She was the seventh celebrity to be eliminated, and left the show on 12 November. Sadly I didn’t cover Cornwall so bigging up Ruth wasn’t possible – but Ruth’s relationship with Eamonn came under the spotlight as she revealed she had a bit more to give in life thanks to the show – and dumped him.
Who was my favourite out of the West Country contestants? Bill was certainly the most unlikely celeb, as like me and many men of a certain age he had thinning hair, a paunch, and the looks best suited for radio – but was paired with Oti – a dancer with unlimited sex appeal. But to be fair to Bill – he is a consummate stand up, accomplished performer and able to hold an audience in the palm of his hand – so he may have looked unlikely as a dancer but as a pro he put in the work.
Will Tabby do so well? She’s slid down mountains on a tiny sledge and won gold for GB and glory for Bath – arguably harder than a quickstep – so why not?
The programme starts on Saturday 19th September, 2026. All you need to know is at https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/articles/2026/strictly-come-dancing-2026