Strictly's Phil Daniels

Friday, 29th August 2008

Phil Daniels is known to many people as Jimmy from cult film Quadrophenia, whilst the Britpop generation know him as the voice on Blur's hit single Parklife.

More recently, he played Kevin Wicks in BBC One's EastEnders.

Phil made his acting debut in 1976 playing a waiter in Bugsy Malone. He later did voiceovers for animated films such as Chicken Run and appeared in comedy shows including Sunnyside Farm, Time Gentlemen Please, Gimme Gimme Gimme and Outlaws.

Phil joined EastEnders in 2006 as Kevin Wicks, who brought up his three kids single-handed when wife Shirley ran out on the family. His character died in a car crash in a New Year's Eve storyline in December 2007.

Phil says: "I hope I will surprise myself and be good at dancing – I just hope I don't fall over or forget the steps!"

Flavia Cacace is Phil Daniels' dance partner

Hailing from Naples in Southern Italy, Flavia moved to Guildford in Surrey with her family when she was four.

Flavia was runner-up in the final of the last series of Strictly Come Dancing with her dance partner Matt Di'Angelo.

She and professional dancing partner Vincent Simone have been extremely successful on the competition circuit, dancing together for the past 12 years.

They have an impressive list of titles between them, both on an amateur and professional level, and have appeared on Strictly Dance Fever and Strictly Come Dancing as Argentine Tango specialists.

Flavia is really looking forward to being able to teach a celebrity again. She thinks she will be quite patient yet easy to understand.

She says: "'I was thrilled to make the final last year. It was a huge achievement which made me very happy and I'm really looking forward to having another go this series."