Former EastEnders star Nigel Harman joins Strictly Come Dancing line-up

British actor Nigel Harman has been named as the latest celebrity taking part in the Strictly Come Dancing 2023 line-up.

The 49-year-old, who is known for his role playing Dennis Rickman – the late husband of Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean) – in BBC soap EastEnders from 2003 until 2005, recently returned to the BBC on soap Casualty playing clinical lead doctor Max Cristie.

In 2013, Harman was at the centre of a hard-hitting storyline on hit period drama series Downton Abbey, involving his character valet Alex Green who was seen physically and sexually attacking lady’s maid Anna Bates, who was played by Joanne Froggatt and won a Golden Globe award in 2015 for her role.

On joining the Strictly cast this year, Harman told Christine Lampard on ITV chat show Lorraine: “As the days have crept up to this moment I’ve been going, what have I done?”

Harman said his Casualty co-star Charles Venn, who appeared on Strictly in 2018, advised him to keep up the cardio and “be yourself” on the show.

Harman’s other credits include starring in the West End production of Harry Hill’s comedy musical I Can’t Sing! The X Factor Musical in 2014 in which he played the talent show’s judge Simon Cowell.

The Strictly line-up so far also includes EastEnders actor Bobby Brazier, former Coronation Street star Ellie Leach and Paralympic champion Jody Cundy, as well as BBC Asian Network’s Breakfast Show host Nikita Kanda, actress Amanda Abbington, Bad Education star Layton Williams and broadcaster Angela Rippon.

They will be joined on the dancefloor by journalist Krishnan Guru-Murthy, comedian Eddie Kadi, Irish TV presenter Angela Scanlon and former Love Island star Zara McDermott.

Presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman will be back to host the show when it returns to screens in the autumn.