STRICTLY Come Dancing finalist John Whaite and Emmerdale star Samantha Giles have been announced for the cast of this year's Bradford Alhambra panto.

They will join panto legend Billy Pearce in Cinderella, running at the Alhambra from December 9 to January 21, 2024.

Billy will play Buttons, while John Whaite takes the role of Dandini and Samantha Giles is the Wicked Stepmother.

John Whaite won the third series of The Great British Bake Off, is a co-presenter on Channel 4's food investigation programme Food Unwrapped and is a regular on Steph's Packed Lunch. A cookery writer, content creator and TV presenter, John made TV history in 2021 when he and Johannes Radebe were the first all-male couple on BBC1’s Strictly Come Dancing, dancing into the final.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: John will play Dandini John will play Dandini (Image: Sparkled Press)

On his panto casting, John says: “I am so excited to make my panto debut in the wonderful city of Bradford. Yorkshire

audiences are the best, and I can’t wait to spend Christmas laughing every day with Billy and Samantha. See you at the ball!”

Samantha Giles is best-known for her long-running role as Bernice Blackstock in Emmerdale, a role for which she won the TV Quick Award for Best Actress and a National Television Award nomination for Most Popular Actress.

She has also played Sally Boothe in three series of Where The Heart Is, Valerie Holden in Hollyoaks and has appeared in shows such as Dangerfield, Doctors, The Case, Coronation Street, Mad Dogs and True Crime. Samantha’s film credits include appearing alongside Rob Lowe in Midnight Man and her stage roles including Shelagh Delaney’s A Taste of Honey, Absent Friends and Dead Funny.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Samantha as the Wicked StepmotherSamantha as the Wicked Stepmother (Image: Sparkled Press)

Says Samantha: "I am beyond hexcited to be playing the Wicked Stepmother in Cinderella at the Bradford Alhambra theatre. I'm really looking forward to working with Billy Pearce, the absolute king of panto, and the Alhambra itself is such a beautiful theatre that I have long wished to work at.”

Cinderella will be produced by the world’s biggest pantomime producer and the team behind the Alhambra's 2022 production of Jack and the Beanstalk, Crossroads Pantomimes. The production will be packed full of the magical ingredients Alhambra audiences have come to expect from the panto - including spectacular special effects.

Join Cinders as she goes from rags to riches, outwits her very wicked sisters and meets her Prince Charming.

Full casting for Cinderella will be announced later in 2023.

* Tickets for Cinderella are on (01274) 432000 or at bradford-theatres.co.uk