BBC Strictly Come Dancing star quits as 2023 line-up and judges confirmed after Gorka Marquez and Shirley Ballas uncertainty

The first Strictly Come Dancing news of the year has arrived as the BBC has confirmed their flagship dancing show will return this autumn and has confirmed the 2023 line-up of presenters, judges and professional dancers.

The 21st series of the hit BBC One dance contest will see Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman will be back in the ballroom overseeing proceedings each weekend as a host of brand-new celebrity contestants take to the floor in a bid to lift the coveted Glitterball Trophy.

Behind the judges' desk once again will be the acid-tongued adjudicator Craig Revel Horwood, Let’s Dance Germany judge Motsi Mabuse, NTA award-winning judge Anton Du Beke and The Queen of Latin Shirley Ballas who will return as head judge after their were some question marks over her future.

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Last month, when talks were ongoing, Shirley suggested she may never return to Strictly after trolls made her life hell. The 62-year-old shared how the onslaught of abuse during the last series left her "crying and emotional".

She said in an exclusive interview with the Mirror: "After the Strictly tour I decided to take a break from TV and re-focus on my own industry for a while, to protect my sanity. I’m fortunate I have two jobs, running parallel, so it was much easier to take a break from TV and look after myself and my well-being.

"Will I go back to Strictly? I always take one step at a time. I absolutely love the job. If it was just that, and there was nothing else surrounding it, I can’t think of a more rewarding job to do."

While Shirley will be hoping to be impressed alongside her fellow judges, on the dancefloor itself, viewers can look forward to seeing some of the most