Strictly's first ‘amateur professionals' to perform Red Nose Day comedy sketch
Comedians Russell Kane and Rachel Parris will become part of the Strictly Come Dancing professional cast in a new Red Nose Day sketch.
The pair will portray Strictly's first amateur professional dancers, Melissa (Parris) and Johnny (Kane), who have been selected due the BBC One show's 'inclusivity rules, which require a certain percentage of professionals to be amateurs' in the observational documentary-style skit.
It will see Strictly hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman take part, with Melissa and Johnny auditioning and then having their celebrity partners pull out at the last minute because of 'identical farcical injuries'.
But their luck will be turned around by Daly and Winkleman's quick thinking.
Essex-raised Kane, 49, said: 'After physio, red light therapy, sports massage, heat rub and an acupuncture mat session, I'm really looking forward to my spine taking part in Strictly for Red Nose Day.'
Money raised by the BBC variety show goes to charity Comic Relief, which is marking its 40th year having raised more than £1.6 billion.
Former Mash Report star Parris said: 'I am over the moon to be involved with Comic Relief this year. Strictly Come Dancing and Red Nose Day are two cultural icons so Russell and I knew that we had to bring our most iconic dance moves to the table.
'I think you will agree that they will go down in history, one way or another. Comic Relief remains a brilliant cause and I'm honoured to be a very small but very glittery part of it.'
Daly said they 'had such a giggle filming this sketch' and Parris and Kane's Strictly journey had 'us all in stitches'.
Strictly professional dancers Johannes Radebe and Karen Hauer, and judges Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Shirley Ballas and Anton Du Beke will also appear in the skit.
Hauer said: 'Rachel and Russell brought bags of energy to the rehearsal room and I was genuinely wowed by their enthusiasm and… talent. They certainly showed us Strictly pros a thing or two.'
Red Nose Day is co-hosted by celebrities including The Masked Singer stars Jonathan Ross, Davina McCall and Joel Dommett, This Morning presenter Alison Hammond, BBC Radio 2 DJ Rylan Clark and singer Alesha Dixon.
Other sketches will feature stars from BBC shows Gladiators, Not Going Out and Beyond Paradise.
The show is on Friday March 21 from 7pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
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