Strictly Come Dancing 2018 start date confirmed by BBC

A trailer for the series has also been launched

The new series of Strictly Come Dancing will kick off on the 8 September with a launch show featuring musical guests Nile Rodgers and Chic, Craig David and Stefflon Don, the BBC has announced.

The launch show will also reveal which professional dancer will be paired up with each celebrity contestant.

Once the pairings have been announced the celebrities will take to the dancefloor for the first time for a group performance.

The show’s grand opening will see Strictly’s professional dancers performing to a live medley of disco outfit Chic’s greatest hits.

David and rapper Stefflon Don will also join Rodgers and the band to perform their new single.

The new series of the BBC’s flagship entertainment show will see stars including Blue singer Lee Ryan, cricketer Graeme Swann and presenter Katie Piper vie to impress the panel of experts.

Head judge Shirley Ballas is set to return alongside Bruno Tonioli, Craig Revel Horwood and Dame Darcey Bussell.

Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly will also resume their roles as the show’s hosts.

A newly released trailer for the upcoming series has also been released on the programme’s official Twitter page.

In the one-minute promotional clip, two pairs of old dancing shoes are dropped off in a box by the owner outside a charity shop on a rainy night.

The shoes suddenly leap onto the pavement and begin to dance to the song Two Can Have A Party by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell.

The dancing shoes’ moves draw applause from other enchanted items that are sitting in the charity shop window.

The trailer ends with a caption that says: “Find your dancing shoes.”

The video was shared on the programme’s official Twitter page. Above the video was a message that said: “Time to dust off your dancing shoes. Strictly is back on BBC One.”