Strictly Come Dancing 2017 stars' code names revealed
The Strictly Come Dancing code name theme for 2017 has been revealed as classical gods and heroes.
Here are all the confirmed celebrities for Strictly this year, and what their code names are:
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Joe McFadden - Morpheus
Richard Coles - Zeus
"I think it's because I'm so old," said Richard when he was announced as a confirmed name for this year's Strictly Come Dancing. Surely it's because you're the King of the Gods, Richard?
Gemma Atkinson - Athena
Ruth Langsford - Hera
Hera is known as the queen of the gods - and Ruth is the queen of daytime TV!
Davood Ghadami - Perseus
The EastEnders actor's nickname was one of Greek mythology’s greatest heroes. Perseus was also meant to be tall and athletic, so Davood certainly fits the bill!
Also, Perseus was chosen for Davood as a nod to his Persian heritage, as apparently there is a suggestion that Perseus was the founder of Persia!
Mollie King - Clio
Clio was one of the nine Greek muses and the goddesses of music, song and dance and was considered to be the inventor of the guitar. Fittingly, Mollie not only writes music and is a former member of The Saturdays, but she also plays the guitar!
Every year, the Strictly producers come up with codes for the celebrities so that their identity behind the scenes isn't blown. In 2016, the theme was Shakespeare, while the cast of 2015 had Disney code names.
The mastermind behind the whole code name shebang is Strictly's talent executive Vinnie Shergill, who comes up with the theme and also all the names for the celebs.
Now we can't wait to see if there's a Zeus, Hercules and Apollo in the mix.
