Martina Hingis joins Strictly Come Dancing lineup

Former Wimbledon champion to battle Joe Calzaghe, Phil Tufnell and Jo Wood in BBC's Strictly Come Dancing

In pictures: this year's Strictly Come dancing lineup

Former Wimbledon champion and five-time grand slam winner Martina Hingis will join boxer Joe Calzaghe and Ronnie Wood's estranged wife Jo as contestants on this year's Strictly Come Dancing.

Hingis, 29, who was banned from the tennis circuit for two years in 2008 after testing positive for cocaine at the 2007 Wimbledon tournament, will join four other sports stars in the seventh series of the reality talent show, which returns to BBC1 next month.

Apart from former light heavyweight world champion Calzaghe, other sports stars appearing in the dance contest are retired jockey Richard Dunwoody, Olympic long-jumper Jade Johnson and ex-England cricketer Phil Tufnell, no stranger to reality TV after winning the 2003 series of ITV1's I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here!.

After a summer of bad press generated by the programme dumping 66-year-old Arlene Phillips as a judge in favour of 30-year-old former winner Alesha Dixon, BBC executives will be hoping today's unveiling of the 2009 contestants brings some more positive publicity.

This year's Strictly Come Dancing lineup also includes 61-year-old actor and former Oxo mum Lynda Bellingham.

Plenty of former soap stars will appear, with Natalie Cassidy and Ricky Groves from EastEnders competing against Footballers' Wives stars Laila Rouass and Zoe Lucker.

Craig Kelly from Coronation Street and Ricky Whittle from Hollyoaks will also appear, as will Ali Bastian, who swapped the Channel 4 teen soap for The Bill.

BBC Breakfast presenter Chris Hollins and police officer turned Crimewatch host Rav Wilding complete the lineup.

This year's series launches on 18 September.

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