Graham Norton will play host, the role taken by Sir Terry Wogan in the singing equivalent. The live show will take place at BBC Television Centre in London with the viewing public as judges.

Dancing couples from 13 countries across Europe - Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the Ukraine and the UK - will take part.

The broadcaster promises that the two-hour special, to be shown later in the year, will be a "major BBC One Saturday night event".

Eurovision Dance Contest, which follows the huge success of the broadcaster's Strictly Come Dancing TV show and the sale of the format around the world, will see professional and amateur dancers compete for the international crown.

They will perform two dances, one a choice of traditional Latin or ballroom and the other a freestyle dance reflecting their national culture.

The BBC said: "Like the Eurovision Song Contest, the show will be live, unpredictable, with a scoreboard, foreign hosts - and who knows, perhaps an infamous 'nul points'."

BBC One Controller Peter Fincham said: "The Eurovision Song Contest has been a remarkable, long standing success on BBC One. Eurovision Dance Contest is its natural partner. I'm looking forward to an evening full of stars and sequins, and glitz and glamour - a great night of family entertainment on BBC One."

The Eurovision Song Contest launched 50 years ago.

Jane Lush from Splash Media, which is co-producing the show, said: "We are in the midst of a dancing obsession in the UK and the Eurovision Dance Contest takes this to an international level. Surely we can hope to get more than nul points."

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