Glasgow to host Euro-dance contest

3:23pm Monday 7th July 2008

Glasgow is to host this year's Eurovision Dance Contest, it was announced.

The competition will be held in the city on September 6 following the success of the inaugural event in London last year.

Graham Norton and Claudia Winkleman are to return as presenters for the 2008 contest at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre.

Dancers from 15 countries will take part, with last year's winner Finland looking to defend its title.

Couples are asked to perform one dance - a freestyle number with a national flavour.

Viewers will then be asked to vote on the choreography, costume and music, with Strictly Come Dancing's Len Goodman and Craig Revell Horwood commentating on performances and artistic content.

Elaine Bedell, head of entertainment commissioning at the BBC, said: "This will be an evening of extraordinary dance performance fusing the popularity of Strictly Come Dancing with the scale of Eurovision Song Contest. It will be a great event in the great city of Glasgow."

The competition is organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).

Last year's event saw dancers Jussi Vaananen and Katja Koukkula beat UK entrants Brendan Cole and Camilla Dallerup.

The Strictly Come Dancing pair came 15th out of 16 participating couples.