Strictly Come Dancing Goes Virtual With First Online World for Young Fans

Strictly Come Dancing Goes Virtual With First Online World for Young Fans

LONDON, January 5, 2012/PRNewswire/ --

BBC Worldwide announces new venture, the first of its kind for the brand,

with Stardoll, the world's largest online community for teen girls.

- With Photo

BBC Worldwide today announced the first in what it is hoped will be a series of deals
with Stardoll which aims to build upon the domestic and global success of the world's most
successful reality TV format and cater for its teen girl fanbase by offering an exciting
and glamourous new virtual community for these fans.

The deal with Stardoll, which will be initially rolled out in the UK, will offer users
of the site access to an exclusive Strictly Come Dancing club where they can obtain
virtual items inspired by the show to decorate their personal suites. Additionally, a
subscription allows users to treat their 'medolls' to a range of Strictly Come Dancing
inspired costumes and props, ranging from the famously glamorous dresses, to shoes and
judges boards - all helping to recreate and replicate the Strictly Come Dancing experience
in the virtual and safe Stardoll world. The club is available now from
http://www.stardoll.com/en.

To promote a fun and engaging experience, Stardoll has added an incentive to the
initial campaign, whereby members will receive a calendar with 20 exclusive Strictly Come
Dancing items that are unlocked by day, giving an element of surprise, mystery and
anticipation around what they will receive next. In addition, when members join the
Strictly club, they can build a stage, and add the set design, spotlight and other items
from the show as the membership numbers increase. Additional items unlock separately as
the club grows, which encourages others to join the fun.

Simon Hutson, Director of Digital Development at BBC Worldwide said "Attracting new
audiences as well as building strong relationships with some of the show's most passionate
young fans in new and engaging ways marks a very exciting move for the Strictly brand.
This digital world allows fans to experience the glamour of the ballroom before, during
and after the show's transmission and ensures they have their own way of interacting with
the show in an environment they already socialise in."

Chris Seth, EVP and GM at Stardoll said "We're excited to bring a new dimension of
digital entertainment to our members with a full Strictly Come Dancing experience complete
with outfits from the show, dance club, and fun activities that link to the actual TV
programme. This partnership is a perfect match because our members thrive on real world
experiences coming to Stardoll."

The subscription of GBP5.95, is available to users in the UK, and localised to the UK
version of the show - Strictly Come Dancing. In addition, with the success of the Strictly
brand globally (outside the UK the brand is called Dancing with the Stars) coupled with
Stardoll's international network of users, several other countries where the show is
popular will have their own versions announced within the coming months.

Dancing with the Stars is one of BBC Worldwide's flagship brands. Sold to over 35
countries and shown in 75 countries worldwide it is estimated over a half a billion people
have seen a local version of Dancing with the Stars.

NOTES TO EDITORS

BBC Worldwide
BBC Worldwide Limited is the main commercial arm and a wholly owned subsidiary of the
British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). The company exists to maximise the value of the
BBC's assets for the benefit of the licence fee payer and invest in public service
programming in return for rights. The company has five core businesses: Channels, Content
& Production, Sales & Distribution, Consumer Products and Brands, Consumers & New
Ventures, with digital ventures incorporated into each business area. In 2010/11, BBC
Worldwide generated profits of GBP160 million on sales of GBP1158 million and returned
GBP182m to the BBC. For more detailed performance information please see our Annual Review
website: http://www.bbcworldwide.com/annualreview

bbcworldwide.com [http://www.bbcworldwide.com ]
twitter.com/bbcwpress [http://twitter.com/bbcwpress ]

About Stardoll

Stardoll is a free-to-play, fun-filled social game for young women, who love fashion,
shopping, decorating, creativity and making new friends from around the world. 145 million
MeDoll avatars have been created to date with a new player joining every second, making
Stardoll one of the world's fastest growing communities! The company is based in
Stockholm, Sweden with offices in Los Angeles, New York, London and Frankfurt, and is
backed by two of the world's top venture capital firms: Sequoia Capital and Index
Ventures. For more information, visit: http://www.stardoll.com

http://www.facebook.com/stardoll

twitter.com/stardoll [http://twitter.com/stardoll ]

Calendar: http://www.stardoll.com/en/campaigns/strictlycomedancing/

Pass:
https://www.stardoll.com/en/account/payment/stardollars.php?woD=0&country=gb#payment

Club: http://www.stardoll.com/en/clubs/home.php?id=3167582

Note to Editors:

A picture accompanying this release is available through the PA Photowire. It can be
downloaded from http://www.pa-mediapoint.press.net or viewed at
http://www.mediapoint.press.net or http://www.prnewswire.co.uk.

Source: Stardoll and BBC Worldwide

For more information, please contact: Philip Fleming, Head of Communications, Global Brands, BBC Worldwide, E: Philip.Fleming@bbc.com, T: +44(0)20-8433-2596; Chris Seth, EVP & GM at Stardoll, E: Chris@stardoll.com,
T: +44(0)780-227-4292

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