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As this year's Strictly celebrities are locked away in training studios preparing for their second live dance, the ´óÏó´«Ã½ today opened up the Strictly floor to invite the whole of the nation to dance by hosting five new Strictly themed events at ´óÏó´«Ã½ Big Screens around the country.

Throughout October, the ´óÏó´«Ã½ will be taking Strictly on the road to Leeds, Edinburgh, Norwich, Plymouth and Swansea where fans and families can dress up and take to the floor like their favourite Strictly stars, take part in special dance rehearsals and watch show dances performed by local dance companies.

Katie Taylor, Head of Entertainment and Events, said: "This is our eighth series of Strictly Come Dancing and we know there are lots of Strictly fans around the UK that love the show as much as we do.

"Each year, there are huge demands for tickets to the live show, so these events are a great way to give audiences up and down the country a real opportunity to have first-hand experience of the glitz and glamour of Strictly."

As part of this year's series, the ´óÏó´«Ã½ is also offering the chance for up to 500 lucky fans to take part in an exclusive Strictly event to learn and perform a new group dance within the iconic "doughnut" at ´óÏó´«Ã½'s Television Centre in November.

Choreographed by Strictly alumna Karen Hardy, the mass group performance, also featuring some favourite Strictly faces, will be filmed and featured on ´óÏó´«Ã½ One as one of the channel's famous idents over the next 12 months as the famous building celebrates its 50th anniversary.

Fans of the show will be able to find out more information including how to apply for tickets by visiting bbc.co.uk/showsandtours/events/. For all the latest news on the show, visit Strictly Come Dancing online at bbc.co.uk/strictly.

Mark Linsey, Controller of Entertainment Commissioning, said: "´óÏó´«Ã½ One is the home of dance, so it makes sense to use the circular shape of Television Centre to film this new Strictly Come Dancing-themed ident. As the nation's favourite channel, we are extremely excited about having 500 Strictly fans come together in such an iconic place and we're sure that this event will delight those watching and taking part."

Notes to Editors

Dates for Strictly Big Screens Events

Saturday 9 October Leeds
Saturday 16 October - Edinburgh and Norwich
Saturday 23 October - Plymouth and Swansea

Date for Strictly London ident filming

Sunday 7 November

There will be up to 500 tickets available to take part in the dancing experience in London at ´óÏó´«Ã½ Television Centre.

Over 450 places will be allocated via a lottery from application through the ´óÏó´«Ã½ ticket website.

Approximately 50 will be issued to professional dancers and Strictly Come Dancing talent to take part in the shoot.

About Strictly Come Dancing

Strictly Come Dancing is available on ´óÏó´«Ã½ One and ´óÏó´«Ã½ HD and airs this week on Saturday 9 October.

Strictly Come Dancing holds several awards including a National Television Award for Most Popular Talent Show, voted for by members of the British Public in 2008, and an RTS award for Best Entertainment Programme.

The show appears in the Guinness World Records 2010 as the world's most successful reality television format and it is estimated that more than a quarter of a billion people have watched an international version of the show since its launch.

You can get all the up-to-date gossip on the sister show, It Takes Two, weekdays at 6.30pm on ´óÏó´«Ã½ Two from 4 October.

For more information and gossip, visit bbc.co.uk/strictly, become a fan at facebook.com/bbcstrictly or follow us on Twitter: @bbcstrictly.

SM4/DM/CK