Zoe and Gloria ... take your partners

With a sweep of sequins and froth of feathers they are about to waltz their way into Saturday nights.

Gloria Hunniford and Zoe Ball are leading the celebrity line-up for the third series of Strictly Come Dancing.

Along with cricketer Darren Gough and Olympic hurdler Colin Jackson, they will be learning on their feet in the show, which the BBC hopes will give ITV1's The X Factor a run for its money.

For Miss Hunniford, 65, the dancing debut marks a return to the spotlight after the death of her daughter Caron Keating from cancer in 2004.

'The last 18 months have been particularly hard and I feel now it is the time to do something for myself,' she said yesterday. 'I want to get fitter and have lots of fun along the way.'

Zoe Ball, 34, who has not worked on mainstream TV since she hosted the Brit awards three years ago, is also trotting out in her dancing shoes.

She may have picked up some helpful hints hosting the BBC3 version of the spin off Strictly Dance Fever earlier this year.

The former Radio 1 breakfast show host, who is married to dance DJ Norman Cook (aka Fatboy Slim) has been limiting her fancy footwork to weddings.

'It's brilliant dancing with the dads and uncles because they always know what they're doing and there's something great about being flung around by a man,' she said. Former EastEnders actress Patsy Palmer, 33, GMTV host Fiona Phillips, 44, My Family actress Siobhan Hayes, 31, and Holby City actress Jaye Jacobs, 23 will all be sashaying around the dancefloor.

While his England teammates are on tour in Pakistan, Darren Gough, 35, will be learning to tango and foxtrot. He will be joined by former hurdles champion Jackson, 38, snooker legend Dennis Taylor, 56, BBC Breakfast News presenter Bill Turnbull, Ready, Steady, Cook! chef James Martin, 32, and Casualty actor Will Thorp.

The show, hosted by Bruce Forsyth, starts on BBC1 on October 15.