Australian singer Delta Goodrem has officially joined the star-studded line-up of Strictly Come Dancing, becoming one of the 15 celebrities making their debut on the glitzy dancefloor later this year. The award-winning singer and songwriter first rose to fame at 16 after landing a role in the hit soap opera, Neighbours, as Nina Tucker.
After becoming a household name across Australia, Delta then released her record-breaking debut album, Innocent Eyes. With hits such as Born to Try, Innocent Eyes and Not Me, Not I, she turned into an international success as the album spent a staggering 29 consecutive weeks at the top spot.
Cancer Battle at 18
Sadly, the focus on Delta's music career dramatically halted after she was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma at just 18 years old. Reflecting on battling the disease and undergoing treatment as a teenager, the Eurovision star stated: "Cancer doesn't discriminate based on what job you're doing."
According to IBTimes, the actress continued: "It says, 'You have to look after this now.'" At the time, Delta received an outpour of support and well wishes from fans, as the then Prime minister John Howard sent his support, while Elton John wrote to her on behalf of the UK, as she underwent months of chemotherapy and radiation before going into remission.
New Chapter on Strictly
Now, following an eight-year role as a vocal coach on The Voice Australia, the 41-year-old said Strictly would allow her to build on that progression. Delta shared: "My music has always been very piano-driven, so this is my opportunity to learn something new, and then I can take it on tour with me."
Although she has no preference over which pro she's paired with, Delta has made one plea to Strictly bosses and requested: "I'm quite tall, so I'd love to have someone taller than me. I really don't want to be the one that has to lift people."
Confirmed Line-Up
The singer will join the confirmed line-up of other stars, including Lacey Turner, Dani Dyer, Chris Appleton, Cach Mercer, Will Best, Dame Sarah Storey and Jaime Winstone. While the pairings have yet to be unveiled, the pros returning are Alexis Warr, Aljaz Skorjanec, Amy Dowden, Carlos Gu, Dianne Buswell, Jowita Przystal, Julian Caillon, Kai Widdrington, Katya Jones, Lauren Oakley, Nancy Xu, Neil Jones, Nikita Kuzmin, and Vito Coppola.
This is in addition to the recently announced five new professionals, Maddie Ingoldsby, Aleksandra Isaeva, Mark Karmalita, Lethabo Monametsi, and Cristian Prior.
