The glitz and glamour of Strictly Come Dancing returns to our screens this Saturday for the launch show.

Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman will launch the new series of the much-loved celebrity dance contest, pairing up the 15 celebrities with their professional dance partners on BBC One from 7pm.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">That feeling when you meet your <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Strictly?src=hash">#Strictly</a> dance partner. Let the excitement begin! We're back, Saturday 7pm <a href="https://twitter.com/BBCOne">@BBCOne</a> ✨ <a href="https://t.co/7SDQavys71">pic.twitter.com/7SDQavys71</a></p>— BBC Strictly✨ (@bbcstrictly) <a href="https://twitter.com/bbcstrictly/status/906062912493686784">September 8, 2017</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The celebrities take to the floor for their first group dance, and there is a very special group routine as everyone on Strictly pays tribute to the late Sir Bruce Forsyth. The "heartfelt performance" will be a tribute to the former presenter and legendary entertainer who died age of 89 last month. Sir Bruce fronted the show alongside Tess Daly from its launch in 2004 until 2014, before handing the baton over to Claudia Winkleman.

Strictly 2017 will get properly started on Saturday September 23 when the competition begins.

The contestants are Mollie King, Davood Ghadami, Ruth Langsford, Gemma Atkinson, Rev Richard Coles, Joe McFadden, Simon Rimmer, Aston Merrygold, Susan Calman, Brian Conley, Charlotte Hawkins, Chizzy Akudolu, Debbie McGee, Jonnie Peacock and Alexandra Burke.

<blockquote class="twitter-video" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Saturday nights are set to sparkle... <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Strictly?src=hash">#Strictly</a> ✨ <a href="https://t.co/qNqMQWFA0r">pic.twitter.com/qNqMQWFA0r</a></p>— BBC Strictly✨ (@bbcstrictly) <a href="https://twitter.com/bbcstrictly/status/903724059573313536">September 1, 2017</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Strictly hopeful Mollie King admits that her greatest fear is tumbling down the famous studio staircase.

The Saturdays star was desperate to at least begin the show looking glamorous and graceful before the competition kicks off, saying: "You know at the start when they say like "Mollie King" and you've got to wave at the top of the stairs?

"You've got to look glamorous, and then you've got to walk down the steps.

"I don't want to literally just tumble down them and then, like, get up and rearrange myself. I just really want to look really graceful doing that bit."

The 30-year-old, who was inspired to take part by bandmate Frankie Bridge's performance on the show in 2014, said: "The move that I always go to, which I really need to stop, especially before Strictly, is the finger point.

"It is so un-cool. I literally need to put this finger back in the pocket because the judges would really just die if they saw me do that on the Strictly dance floor."