Meet the celebrity cast of E4's The Real Dirty Dancing

Set in a lakeside resort, the 10 famous faces are challenged with embodying the characters from the cult classic, before competing to be the last Baby and Johnny standing.

With a number of Strictly Come Dancing alumni taking part, this series is set to be an exciting one – so here's everything you need to know about the celebrity cast.

Anthea Turner

Broadcaster and TV presenter Anthea Turner is best known for hosting Blue Peter and GMTV in the '90s, before presenting shows like the National Lottery draws, Wish You Were Here, Anthea Turner: Perfect Housewife and Dinner Party Wars.

The Real Dirty Dancing isn't Turner's first foray into reality TV as the presenter has previously competed on Celebrity Big Brother, Dancing on Ice, The Jump and Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins.

On why she signed up to the show, Turner said: "I love the film. I'm a big fan of the film. To be honest, everybody who was part of it was a fan of the film, knew about the film, had some sort of affinity with a part of the film, whether it was the dancing or the time it was in."

Lee Ryan

Lee Ryan is a member of boy band Blue, who shot up through the charts with songs like All Rise, Too Close, If You Come Back and Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word.

Outside of Blue, Ryan has appeared on Strictly Come Dancing, Celebs Go Dating, EastEnders, Celebrity Big Brother and Hell's Kitchen.

Speaking about the challenges on the show, Ryan said that he tried to channel Patrick Swayze's intensity into his dancing. "That is what the whole thing's about. I mean, as much as the moves are important," he said. "Dancing is expression, acting is all combined. And I think that's the great thing about dancing."

James Argent

James Argent is a TV personality who rose to fame after starring in ITVBe's The Only Way Is Essex. He left the show in 2018 and has since appeared on shows like Celebrity Super Spa, All Star Family Fortunes, Sugar Free Farm, The Jump and Celebs Go Dating.

More recently, he worked as an entertainment presenter for Good Morning Britain and appeared in Gemma Collins: Diva Forever as well as Celebrity Coach Trip.

On why he signed up for The Real Dirty Dancing, Argent said that he loves the original film, adding: "I love musicals, for a start, and I'm a big Patrick Swayze fan. I just think he's the coolest guy ever. The opportunity to try and become Johnny, it's just too good to be true, isn't it?"

Bobby Seagull

Bobby Seagull is best known for appearing on University Challenge back in 2017, before hosting Monkman and Seagull's Genius Guide to Britain with fellow University Challenge star Eric Monkman.

Seagull published his first book – The Life-Changing Magic of Numbers – in 2019 and has since appeared on BBC Radio 4's Any Questions, The Answer Trap and Monkman & Seagull's Genius Adventures. He also juggles his TV career with being a part-time secondary school maths teacher.

On getting up close and personal with the other cast members on the show, Seagull said it initially felt a bit awkward. "At the start of the show I was thinking, 'Oh no. Where do I put my hands?'

"But as the journey went on, you become more comfortable with the people because it's quite an intense experience. We're there for 16 days, working long hours, with each other all the time. So you bond with people on an emotional level," he added.

Marnie Simpson

Marnie Simpson is a former cast member of MTV's Geordie Shore, joining the show in 2013 and staying on for 10 seasons.

In 2016, she appeared on Celebrity Big Brother, coming in fourth place, before taking part in Ex on the Beach, In Therapy and Single AF. She currently stars in Geordie Shore OGs and Geordie React.

Reflecting on her time on the show, Simpson said that she could definitely relate to Baby. "She did not know how to dance in the beginning and she was very awkward. But then I feel she actually got better, but by the end of it, I still could not dance!" she said.

Saffron Barker

Saffron Barker is an internet personality who regularly posts videos to her YouTube account, boasting a following of 2.48 million subscribers.

She became better known after signing up for Strictly Come Dancing's 2019 series, becoming the first female internet star to take part on the show. She has since appeared on The Celebrity Circle, The Wheel and the Sidemen's YouTube series.

Barker has said that she'll "probably cringe" when watching herself back as the cast members were asked to show off their Dirty Dancing skills.

"You will see how awkward I felt. Honestly, I don't think I've ever, ever looked so awkward in my whole life!" she added. "But, do you know what? When I came out of that show, I probably felt the most confident I've ever felt, because of being in situations like that."

Verona Rose

Verona Rose is a comedian and writer who is best known for creating and starring in BBC Three's Fully Blown. She has appeared on Dating No Filter, 8 Out of 10 Cats, Celebrity Come Dine with Me, Sorry I Didn't Know and Horrible Histories.

Rose is also in the writers' room for the next series of Top Boy and has made cameos on ITV2's The Emily Atack Show.

On being paired with Blue's Lee Ryan and told to do some dirty dancing on day one, Rose said: "I remember that moment, everyone was really, really nervous!

"I was a bit nervous because I was with Lee Ryan, oh my gosh, I just remember thinking we're going to have to bump and grind! But it actually really did break the ice, it made us all feel, from that minute, we were family, we were friends."

Darren Harriott

Darren Harriott is a stand-up comedian who is best known for his appearances on Mock the Week, Live at the Apollo, Roast Battle, Hypothetical, Jon Richardson: Ultimate Worrier and 8 Out of Cats.

He has also competed on Richard Osman's House of Games, Celebrity Mastermind, Comic Relief's Celebrity University Challenge and also hosts CBBC show Would You Rather.

On why he signed up for the show, Harriott said that he wanted to challenge himself. "I'm not really a dancer, especially this kind of dance. I felt like it might be something a bit different. Sometimes you’ve just got to test yourself with something that's out of your comfort zone."

Tom Malone Jr

Tom Malone Jr rose to fame after becoming a cast member on Gogglebox alongside his family, although the reality star left the show back in 2020. He has since competed on Celebrity Coach Trip with his girlfriend, model Bryony Briscoe, and gained a large following on Instagram.

Malone is a professional dancer and admitted that he definitely had an advantage on the show, before adding that "the show wasn't necessarily just about the dance".

"It's also about being Johnny and the character side of things. And that's one thing I'm not used to, because I'm normally used to being on stage as me, rather than being on stage as someone else," he said.

Chelsee Healey

Chelsee Healey is an actor who many will recognise as Janeece Bryant from BBC One's waterloo Road. She starred in the drama from 2006 until 2012 before going on to appear in Casualty, Hollyoaks and Young Dracula.

As for reality TV, Healey competed in the ninth series of Strictly Come Dancing with Pasha Kovalev, finishing the show as a runner-up.

On getting to do the lake lift in the series, Healey said: "That was so much fun. But it's so hard to do a lift in water. Me and my partner gave it a good shot but we didn't get me up, sadly."

The Real Dirty Dancing begins tonight (21st February) on E4 at 9pm. Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what's on tonight.

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