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SABC2 has announced the celebrities who will be contesting the second season of the South African version of Strictly Come Dancing.

After a wildly successful first season the channel had no hesitation in ordering more of the same.

The second season will be broadcast live from the Carlton Centre Ballroom, Johannesburg, premiering on Saturday 5 August at 20h00.

According to SABC2's marketing manager, Mathe Mosito, the decision to commission a second season of the show was not a difficult one for the channel.

"The decision to produce a second series of Strictly Come Dancing was easy for us," she said in a media release. "The first season's popularity resulted in our Saturday night audience more than doubling, with a recorded 9 ARs for the final episode.

"The show also had a huge positive impact on the dance training industry with reports of the public streaming to local dance studios to take up dancing lessons at the end of last season."

The eight celebrities taking part in the new season are:



Mark
One of South Africa's finest footballing talents, Mark Fish made his debut at the tender age of 19, playing for Bafana Bafana. His fancy footwork and super defending led him to play for South Africa in the African Nations Cup, the World Cup in France and the Four Nations Cup.

Hayley
Just back from a two-year dance stint in the UK, accomplished Latin American, Ballroom & Freestyle dance teacher Hayley Bennet is currently a full-time dance teacher and dance captain for an entertainment company. Hayley is determined to prove that Mark Fish's fancy footwork extends beyond the soccer field.

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Tamara
R&B and Kwaito diva Tamara Dey has made an impression on the music and entertainment industry. Her music has been described as "the unofficial language which celebrates the heart and soul of South Africa." Tamara has been nominated for over 10 music awards.

Brandon
Back for the second season, Brandon is still wowing the crowd with his Hip Hop and Funky moves at Emperor's Palace showbar in the evenings and training his celebrity student, Tamara Dey, during the day.

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Dingaan
Dingaan Mokebe made his TV debut on the soapie Generations in 1998. Since his acting debut he has appeared in TV dramas such as Nna Sajene Kokobela and Muvhango.

Phemelo
Hailing from Pretoria, Phemelo still competes professionally and also teaches students in Pretoria, Johannesburg and the Mpumalanga regions. She won the South African title in Latin American & Ballroom in the Juvenile, Junior and Youth categories between 1996 and 2003. She has also represented South Africa four times at the World Dance Sport Championships and is one of the dancers for South African R&B songstress KB.

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Babalwa
Well known for her countless beauty pageant titles, Babalwa Mneno has modeled for SA Fashion Week, CPT Fashion Week and for a myriad of fashion shows from Nigeria, London, and Moscow to New Mexico. She is the CEO of the Sundowns Chikitas.

Thabo
Thabo has journeyed across the oceans as a professional dancer and teacher on more than 100 cruises. He's now come on board Strictly Come Dancing to put Babalwa Mneno through her paces and wow the crowd with their superb dance moves and eye-catching good looks.

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Riaan
Riaan Venter, better known as Die Nutsman, started off his career as a high school teacher specialising in woodwork and technical drawing. He later owned two restaurants and ran a woodworks company. He started building sets for magazines then eventually began his own building company. After working with Annemarie Meintjies on kykNET's Ou Lap Se Rooi, he started as the handyman on SABC2's Huis Huis. After realising the potential of a handyman production Die Nutsman was born.

Hayley
South African Latin American Champion in the Juvenile Junior, Youth and Adult categories, Hayley has represented South Africa internationally and is currently a full time Latin American and Ballroom teacher, based in Pretoria, with a student base of about 400 aspirant dancers.

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Jeannie D
Jeannie D is the husky voice of Good Hope FM and the newest addition to the Top Billing crew. From being a poster girl of SAA and several commercials to interviewing stars like Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock; tracking down big names on the red carpet in Los Angeles and New York; scuba diving in Mozambique to interviews in the skies of Southern Africa in private jets and helicopters, Jeannie D has done just about everything imaginable.

Anthony
Cape Town dancer Anthony Krotz has represented South Africa internationally on numerous occasions and has moved to Johannesburg specifically to participate in Strictly Come Dancing with fellow Capetonian Jeannie D. They're looking forward to loads of support from their home town.

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Freedom
Freedom Hadebe is a man of many talents with accomplishment in music, dancing and television. He has appeared in 7de Laan, Soul City, Justice For All and Scout Safari, which was nominated for a NAACP award in New York.

Mary
Mary lives in Jozi and spends her time teaching Ballroom and Latin American in the Johannesburg and Pretoria areas. She has represented South Africa internationally five times at the World Championships in Miami, Florida. She was also the undefeated 2002 SA Professional Latin American Champion. Mary is also a qualified adjudicator and has judged many national amateur competitions, and is co-owner of an entertainment company which organises entertainment for corporate and government functions.

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Grethe
Grethe is an accomplished actress on stage and screen. Schooled at UCT's drama department, she has received 11 award nominations for theatre performances and has been awarded six best actress awards for her work in film and television.

Harold
Trained in Classical Ballet, Modern Jazz, Freestyle, Ballroom and Latin American Harold has worked all over the world, including a very successful career in Paris. He has worked with stars such as Ricky Martin, Sting, Kylie Minnogue and Harry Connick Jnr, to name a few. Straight after Strictly Come Dancing II Harold will fly to the south of Spain to choreograph a theatre production there.

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The second season of Strictly Come Dancing be hosted by Ian von Memerty and Sandy Ngema for a second time, and will once again be judged by Salome Sechele, Tyrone Watkins, Lilian Phororo and Dave Campbell.

The format of the show remains unchanged. Each week the celebrity contestants and their professional dance partners will learn and perform a new dance.

Each week the celebs will have to learn a new dance. The dances are the Waltz, Viennese Waltz, Foxtrot, Jive, Cha Cha, Rumba, Samba, Quickstep, Paso Doble and the Tango.

They will be judged on their performances firstly by the judges and secondly by the viewers, and the couple with the lowest score will be eliminated until only one couple remains.

The first season of the show was won by radio jock Zuraida Jardine.

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