The stars of Strictly Come Dancing will come out in Knebworth on Christmas Day when a special glitzy episode filmed at the 17th century house hits our television screens.

The Comet: The Christmas special was filmed at Knebworth HouseThe Christmas special was filmed at Knebworth House (Image: WARNING: Use of this copyright image is subject to the terms of use of BBC Pictures' Digital Picture Service (BBC Pictures) a...)

Celebrities from past years of the show joined professional dancers to waltz around the banqueting hall and other stately rooms at the historic building for a day of filming for the seasonal show’s opening number and to set the scene for the contest.

The show will feature celebrities including Olympian Denise Lewis, Saturdays singer Frankie Bridge and writer Pamela Stephenson.

Celebrity chef Ainsley Harriott, TV presenter Gethin Jones and DJ Melvin Ohoo will also take part.

House operations manager Trish Washer said it promises to be a ‘fantastic showcase’ for the house.

“The staff here were delighted and all the celebrities were very friendly and spoke to them.

“The house looked very Christmassey and we’re hoping that when we re-open in March, people will want to come and see where it was filmed.”

The Christmas Day broadcast will be the final time Len Goodman will be seen on the show’s judging panel.

The episode will be hosted by Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.

The house is no stranger to filming with numerous films and period dramas using it as a backdrop, including the recent Netflix series The Crown. Trish said 2017 promises to be an exciting year for Knebworth as it will feature in a number of productions she can’t yet talk about.

But for now it will shine brightly in the spotlight on Christmas Day, so... ”keep dancing!”