Strictly's back – but that doesn't always have to be a bad thing

BBC1 6.30pm Saturday

At long last, autumn is here – which means the jumps are back, and so is Strictly.

For those dreading Saturday nights between now and Christmas, never fear – dipping a toe into the glittering waters of Strictly with a modest punt will not only provide an interest in TV's top reality show, but could prove profitable too.

Joint-favourite Ashley Roberts could be worth taking on. Her odds are short because she is, essentially, a professional dancer having spent many years with burlesque troupe turned girl group The Pussycat Dolls. Some viewers won't take issue with that, others will.

Former pop stars Faye Tozer and Lee Ryan are also in the line-up, but their choreography was more Macarena than full routines.

Co-favourite Vick Hope and new pro Graziano di Prima look strong early contenders, but there's a long way to go and the likes of Stacey Dooley, Katie Piper and Ranj Singh all have well-established support bases.

A dark horse may come in the form of Graeme Swann – cricketers have an excellent record following victories by Darren Gough and Mark Ramprakash.

Veteran Anton du Beke should provide some comedy value with Susannah Constantine of What Not To Wear fame. They're the outsiders but that doesn't mean they'll be first to go.

YouTube star Joe Sugg may struggle to gain popularity away from his regular followers - but there are enough of them to keep him out of trouble early on, and comedian Seann Walsh has some work to do to avoid being an early casualty.

Recommendations
Vick Hope & Graziano Di Prima to win
1pt 10-3 Betfred
Ranj Singh & Janette Marara to win
1pt 33-1 bet365
Seann Walsh & Katya Jones to be eliminated first
2pts 9-2 Hills

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