Strictly's Craig Revel Horwood shares which contestant he thinks will struggle

The formidable Strictly Come Dancing stalwart has never been one to hold back his criticism, building a reputation for being the fiercest member of the esteemed panel 0f Strictly Come Dancing judges.

This year, Revel Horwood is predicting comedian Bill Bailey will have the toughest time earning high scores, but admits that he'll likely have some hilarious remarks to fire back.

"It's an interesting line-up, but it always is," he told Digital Spy. "I think Bill Bailey is going to suffer, but he'll be brilliant when it comes to backchat with the judges.

"He's going to give me a run for my money. He'll have a fair few goading scenarios up his sleeve for me. But that's the whole point of Strictly. You don’t have to be a brilliant dancer – it's about entertaining people and being yourself."

Fans have had longer to wait than usual for that Ballroom sparkle to glow up the television schedules, as a smaller Strictly Come Dancing line-up of competitors has necessitated a later start date.

However, we're now less than one week away from the formal launch of this year's series, with contestants eagerly anticipating the announcement of their partners.

Bailey himself has previously stated that he wants a partner who can be completely honest with him, adding that he wants to "put 100 per cent in" to his routines.

He told RadioTimes.com: "Very much someone who doesn’t pull any punches, isn’t going to sugar coat it. You just want someone telling you straight. I need to know what’s right to get it locked in, so someone who’s got a degree of patience but someone who’s going to keep pushing, making sure you practice and you get it right.”

Strictly Come Dancing premieres on BBC One on Saturday 17th October. While you’re waiting, visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight, or check out our guide to new TV shows 2020 to find out what's airing this autumn and beyond.