Reality Bites was lucky enough to watch the Strictly launch show being filmed at BBC HQ last night but all we're going to reveal, for now, is that fans of the series should be very excited. The glam shiny new set is fitting for the Beeb's biggest entertainment show and there looks to be plenty of celebrity potential (some good, some bad), which should make for a cracking series. The three new pros - Jared, Artem and Robin - will perform a special routine on the series opener but in the meantime, check out our final bio of the week to find out everything you need to know about Robin Windsor.



Robin has always wanted to work in the theatre and has admitted that he used to watch people come and go from London stage doors, hoping that one day it might be him. Born in Ipswich, Suffolk, the 31-year-old began to dance at the age of just 3 after his parents took him along to the Ipswich School of Dance, where he fell in love with ballroom. In the years that followed he won many awards, first as a juvenile dancer up to the age of 12, then as a junior ballroom dancer up to the age of 16. He then moved to London in order to further his dancing career and went on to represent England competitively in competitions all over the world, including the prestigious World Championships, where he reached the semi-finals.

Soon after that, Windsor joined the cast of the hugely popular West End Musical Burn The Floor and has since completed five world tours of the show. Before hitting the West End, he performed on Broadway and has already made many television appearances as part of the cast that now includes Strictly's very own Brian Fortuna and Ali Bastian. It was Windsor's performance in Burn The Floor that paved the way for his Strictly debut after the show's producers spotted him performing in the West End. He says it has been a dream of his to perform on the BBC programme for years but he never thought he would be picked due to his "unconventional" ballroom style.

Windsor has said that he is not daunted at the prospect of leaving the stage and entering the world of live television and he shouldn't be; prior to being selected for Strictly, he appeared on the Australian and Dutch versions of So You Think You Can Dance, as well as the Australian version of Dancing With The Stars. Windsor has already admitted to having a huge crush on judge Alesha Dixon and has said that his dream dance partner on the show would be Victoria Beckham.

Windsor describes himself as an energetic performer and his favourite dances are the Latin samba and jive. He claims to not have time for anything other than his passion for dance. "Dancing takes up my entire life. It's what I was born to do. When I put on my dancing shoes, I forget everything else," he says.

Additional reporting by Emma Humphrey

Are you excited about watching Robin perform? Who would you like to see him partner on the show? Leave your opinions in the box below!

Paul Daniels! Ann Widdecombe! Michelle Williams! Aren't you excited for Strictly yet? If not, why not? If you need another excuse to dust off those sequins and cancel your Saturday night plans, here's one more reason why this year's show looks like being the best yet. So You Think You Can Dance legend Artem Chigvinstev is one of the three new pros to have joined the Strictly family over the summer. Do you want to know more about the man? Well then keep reading for our short bio:



Russian-born Chigvinstev immigrated to the US at a young age in order to pursue his passion for dancing. A Latin and ballroom champion, he competed in the first season of the American dance show So You Think You Dance but was eliminated alongside his fellow contestant Melissa Vella. Speaking of his time on the hit US series, Chigvinstev said: "It was a great experience for me because I was on so much television, so many fans, so much experience being on stage and performing." Following the programme, it became clear that he was hugely popular and his success led to him landing the role of assistant choreographer in the second season.

He also made an appearance on Dancing with the Stars. While working on the show, Chigvintsev met and began dating Carrie Ann Inaba, one of Dancing judges, but their relationship ended in 2008 after two and a half years.

As well as his many television appearances, Chigvintsev is passionate about teaching dance and has brought his expertise to the Ballroom Dance Channel, where he teaches International Style Latin Dance to a global web audience. He has also made small cameo appearances in a few films, including I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry and The Great Observer.

Following his split from Inaba, Chigvintsev joined the cast of Burn The Floor, the worldwide dancing phenomenon that was first performed at Elton John's 50th birthday party. Artem performed both on Broadway and more recently in the West End, but was forced to rapidly return to the US in August this year after being threatened with deportation due to immigration laws stating that he cannot work more than 20 hours a week in a second job. With the West End musical wanting him for 38 hours on top of his Strictly schedule, he had to leave his role in the production. Chigvintsev has now arranged a work visa that enables him to return to the UK and participate in Strictly.

Additional reporting by Emma Humphrey

Do you think Artem will be a good fit in the Strictly family? Leave your opinions in the box below!

It's no secret that Brendan has a zero tolerance policy on lack of punctuality. So when Amanda and Nicki are obscenely late in the morning, will he award them their second yellow card?

Click 'play' below to watch an exclusive preview of tonight's episode of Coach Trip:



Would you be sad to see Amanda and Nicki go? Add your comments to this entry below!

Well, it had to happen at some point. The Coach Trip couples, all shedding their clothes and getting wet while Brendan furiously flaps his hands. But which pair refuse to get involved? Hit 'play' for your exclusive preview of tonight's episode!



Add your comments to this entry below!

The countdown is now on for the red carpet launch of Strictly Come Dancing series eight, which begins on Saturday night on BBC One. This year, it won't only be the celebrities learning the ropes and trying to impress Len and co though. Three new male pro dancers have joined the cast and if you're anything like us, you probably can't wait to see how their salsa, cha cha cha and rumbas stand up to scrutiny. This week we'll be bringing you previews of all three new pros. First up: Jared Murillo!



Jared Murillo was born in Laie, Hawaii into a large family of seven children. Jared's parents, Alex and Robin Murillo, own the Center Stage of Performing Arts school in Utah where alongside Jared himself, many other dance stars were trained such as Julianne Hough, Ashly DelGrosso-Costa and Derek Hough. From an early age, Murillo was both singing and dancing in front of large audiences; at just 8 years old, he performed alongside Donny Osmond in a production of Joseph And His Technicolour Dreamcoat, the youngest by far amongst the cast. Three years later, aged 11, Murillo was chosen to perform in front of hundreds at the famous Suzuka Race Circuit in Japan.

Murillo has been dancing competitively since the age of 6, and in 1994 he won a national championship title in ballroom dancing. He went on to win various events and awards around the country. It was in his early teenage years that Jared was spotted by world-class dance coach and choreographer Buddy Schwimmer, who asked Murillo to partner his daughter Lacey. After accepting the offer, Murillo moved to California with the Schwimmer family and the young pair began competing together at a junior level. It was Schwimmer's coaching that helped Murillo to win multiple world and national titles in dancing such as the World Swing, the United States Swing and the United States Youth Latin Ballroom Championships.

In 2002, the Winter Olympics came to Salt Lake City in Utah and Murillo was chosen to perform, alongside his siblings Joshua and Alexandria, as part of the opening ceremonies, and it was here that he met Kenny Ortega who choreographed the performance. Murillo was later reunited with the celebrity director, most famous for his choreography of Michael Jackson's 'This Is It' tour and Dirty Dancing, when he became a principal dancer in the High School Musical film franchise which Ortega directed.

Murillo danced in all three movies, along with the 'High School Musical: The Concert' tour, and it was while working on the films that he met Ashley Tisdale, one of the leading female actresses. Murillo and Tisdale dated for a while after the movies were released, and Jared appeared in many of her music videos as a background dancer. However,their relationship ended in 2009 and Murillo has since begun dating fellow dancer Ashley Galvan, who appeared on this year's US series of So You Think You Can Dance. As well as the High School Musical movies, Murillo has appeared in many television programmes such as the Disney Channel's The Suite Life Of Zack And Cody and he also took part in 'Glee: The Tour' earlier this year.

Murillo isn't just known for his dancing, and is currently a member of boyband V Factory who have recently signed a record contract with Warner Bros Records and are produced by former pop artist Tommy Page. Although the band are yet to release an album, they have released a few singles and are said to be working on their debut album.

Having departed from his ballroom roots over the past few years, Murillo is said to be excited about joining the Strictly professional dancing team.

Additional reporting by Emma Humphrey

Are you excited about seeing Jared on the show? How do you think he will fare? leave your opinions in the box below!

Kimberly Wyatt is certainly no stranger to the stage. She's been dancing since she was 7 years old and spent six years as part of one of the world's biggest pop groups. Last year she added yet another string to her dance bow by taking a judging spot on Sky's Got To Dance, where we loved her tough-but-fair critiques. We caught up with the former Pussycat Doll at the Edinburgh Television Festival to chat about the second series, her current music projects and tweeting with Davina.

Are you excited to be back on the road with Got to Dance?
"I am so excited! I got to see Ashley and Adam today and it was like a reunion. We've become quite the family through the first season and now I can't wait for the second season - it's exciting. We know what we're getting into and the contenders have been pouring in wanting to audition. I think we're going to get a lot of great talent this year."

Are you expecting an even higher standard from the contestants this time?
"I think the contestants will be of a higher standard, just because they know what to expect and that I can sometimes be kind of harsh! [laughs] I think they'll definitely bring their best. Plus it's a £250,000 prize - who's not going to work hard for that?"

Are you going to be just as tough on anyone who doesn't meet the standard this year?
"The thing with me is that when I am put on the spot as a judge and asked to tell my opinion, all I can rely on is my truth and honesty. My judging ability really came from the way that I was judged as a kid through competitions. I feel that the more critiques that I give, the more growth they can have as long as they take the criticisms to heart and really work hard at becoming better."

Are you hoping for a winner who isn't a street dance act this time?
"I'm always partial to the contemporary dancers just because I know how hard it is to be good at contemporary. There's so many rules and stipulations about turnout and point and how it's done. It takes many years to be good at it so I'm really hoping that we get some good contemporary dancers in this season and maybe even some fusions of street and contemporary together - that would be cool."

Did you, Ashley and Adam keep in touch between series?
"We did actually - we didn't see each other on a daily basis like we will now, but I found two really great friends through the whole experience and we definitely keep in touch. And Davina and I are always tweeting and direct messaging each other and keeping in touch. I've got a little London family out here and it's amazing."

Do you think you've made some friends for life?
"Yes - you know, I do feel that way."

Why do you think the show has been so successful?
"I think it's a big success because dance is so entertaining to watch and I think by having all ages and all styles of dance it can connect with anybody who's watching. We had Akai win who's only danced for a year and was 10 years old and you could just see that he was so passionate about it and just put his all into it. You get swept away with the contestants. The great thing is that the show's more about the contestants and their journey than anything, instead of anything else."

Have you kept in contact with any of the dancers from the first series?
"You know what, through Facebook I've actually kept in touch with a few of them and all of them are doing very well and continuing to dance. Some are doing shows here and some have entered ballet schools and some are still doing competition - it's good to keep in touch. It feels pretty cool."

All the judges performed on the show last year. Do you have anything up your sleeve for this series?
"I have my new music coming out with Her Majesty And The Wolves. We're taking a nice spin on the music industry, and I'm able to put some contemporary style dancing in there that I grew up with and trained my whole life for, so I'm hoping to blend it all together and come up with something very exciting to watch - that's the plan, anyway!"

Do you think any other reality shows would benefit from the judges performing?
"I don't know. I'm thinking about a lot of judges and I don't know that I can see very many of them get up on stage ,but Cheryl Cole can get up there and hang and put on an incredible show."

You wouldn't want to hear Simon Cowell belting out a classic?
"I don't think I would - I think I'd rather just watch him do what he does best!"

Would you consider judging on another reality show if they asked you?
"I've never really thought about it. I think this was the perfect place for me to be. The dance world is where I feel the most comfortable."

How does the standard of UK dance compare to the US?
"Depending on what type of dance there's definitely some differences. There are some incredible dancers in the States because it's such a huge country, and there's such a lot of competition in life in general because so many people are trying to get to the top and there's not so many opportunities. At the same time the creativity I think is what I'm really inspired by here in the UK. The stories behind the dancers, especially street is pretty incredible. That's not to take away from the States, I think dancers on both continents are fantastic but I am inspired by the creativity behind the street dancers here."

Can you tell us a bit more about the Her Majesty And The Wolves project?
"Ever since the 'Dolls chapter ended I was recording music a lot trying to figure out what was next for me. After almost a year recording trying to figure it out and having an idea of the kind of music I loved and wanted to make, I worked with a lot of producers and I met up with my friend Spencer. He blew me away - he's super-talented and we would speak the same language when it comes to influences and likes within music. We just decided it would be a cool thing to partner up and dream big! Since then, we created Her Majesty and The Wolves and we've just been doing this huge conceptual music fun thing."

Are there any current artists that you could compare Her Majesty And The Wolves to?
"I can't really compare it to another artist out there but you know what, we were talking about this the other day and it's kind of like The Eurythmics."

What have you guys come up with so far?
"Now we've got half an album recorded and 'Glaciers' came out today. We'll have a first single late October - it's organically becoming what it is."

Are you considering a solo album as well?
"I don't really want to do a solo album right now in my life - I love collaborating with great people. I think you get the best work that way and this feels right."

Got To Dance returns to Sky1 HD in January 2011.

Are you excited about the second series of Got To Dance? Leave your opinions in the box below

Last year we brought you X Factor sessions from former acts including Austin Drage, Rowetta, Bad Lashes, Journey South and Voices With Soul. This year we're determined to catch up with even more old friends from the biggest reality show on TV and hear what they are up to now. With Same Difference back on the chart trail with comeback single 'Shine On Forever (Photo Frame'), we decided, 'Who better to get in first this year than everyone's favourite brother-sister double act?' Click 'play' below to watch Sean and Sarah's acoustic version of their single. See Louis - they really can sing!



Additional reporting by Tom Mansell

What do you think to the performance? Will you be buying the single? Leave your opinions in the box below

Tongues have been wagging on the coach. Has Brendan uncovered a secret that young Sam would rather keep hidden? Click play below for an exclusive preview of Monday night's Coach Trip:



How would you rate the first week of the new series? Add your comments to this entry below!

This week's Reality Bites caption competition is brought to you by Ultimate Big Brother's barmiest housemate - Makosi Musambasi! The African Queen's off-the-wall behaviour in the house has been one of the most gripping parts of the series and tonight things are going to get all steamy by the Jacuzzi again as she's joined by her old mucker Anthony Hutton on the highlights show. If you can't wait until 9pm for your next instalment of Makosi action then take a look at the cracking picture below and send in your best captions to @dsrealitybites or leave them in the box below.



Leave your best gags for the Makosi caption competition in the box below!