THE list of professional dancers who will take to the floor for special Strictly Come Dancing with six inspirational partners - including an autism campaigner from Middlesbrough - has been announced.

Regulars on the hit BBC1 primetime show confirmed to be taking part in 'The People’s Strictly for Comic Relief' will be Natalie Lowe, Janette Manrara, Aljaz Skorjanez, Aliona Vilani, Robin Windsor and Ian Waite.

Hosted by Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, the four-part version which will air in the lead-up to Red Nose Day on March 13, will feature real-life heroes instead of celebrities.

‘The People’s Strictly for Comic Relief’ will air on BBC One in the lead up to Red Nose Day due to start on February 23.

Originally from Middlesbrough, Mrs Kennedy, 54, remortgaged her home to set up a school for other autistic children when her sons, Patrick, now 25, and Angelo 21, now, were turned away from mainstream education.

Now living in London, she is also the founder of ‘Autism’s Got Talent”, the first show of its kind which encourages children and adults to perform on stage in front of packed audiences and she has lobbied the Government to make autism diagnosis consistent across the UK.

The other contestants signed up to take part are Phillip Barnett who has raised more than £2 million after founding a children's theatre charity 20 years ago, Trishna Bharadia, who as an MS sufferer has worked to raise awareness around the condition, Cassidy Little, who lost the lower half of his leg in an explosion while serving as a medic in Afghanistan and helped his colleagues through rehab, Heather Parsons, who set up a charity to support intensive care patients and their families and Michael Pattie, who has raised £300,000 for meningitis charities.