
George Clarke is the sixth celebrity contestant announced for Strictly Come Dancing 2025
George, also known as George Clarkey, is a British YouTuber, podcaster and social media star known to millions online. Born and raised in the UK, George began experimenting with video content as a teenager, quickly discovering the power of humour and honesty to connect with people around the world. Since then he has built a thriving digital career with millions of followers across YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, drawn to his authenticity and sharp comedic voice. He also co-hosts The Useless Hotline Podcast, which has proven so popular it has led to a series of live shows across the UK.
More: Strictly Come Dancing 2025 - find out everything you need to know about the new series
Meet the new Professional Dancers joining the Strictly family in 2025
Watch Strictly Come Dancing on BBC iPlayer and add to your Watchlist
On joining Strictly Come Dancing, George Clarke says: "Never thought I'd say this… but I'm doing Strictly! Honestly, I've got no idea what I'm doing but I'm excited to get stuck in... and potentially fall over a fair bit."
The news was revealed on BBC Radio 1's Going Home Drivetime Show on Tuesday 12 August.
The remaining celebrity contestants joining the new series will be announced in due course.
Meet the Strictly 2025 confirmed celebrity contestants
Strictly Come Dancing is a BBC Studios Entertainment production for BBC One and BBC iPlayer and was commissioned by Kalpna Patel-Knight, Head of Entertainment at the BBC. The Executive Producer is Sarah James, and the Series Editors are Nicola Fitzgerald and Jack Gledhill. The Commissioning Editor for the BBC is Jo Wallace.
Strictly Come Dancing will return to BBC One and BBC iPlayer this autumn. Add Strictly to your watchlist on BBC iPlayer now.
GK
Follow for more
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Mail
a minute ago
- Daily Mail
Comedian Gary Little dies aged 61 after tragic 'climbing accident' in Scotland as Kevin Bridges leads heartfelt tributes
Comedian Gary Little has died aged 61 following a tragic 'climbing accident' in Scotland, it was confirmed on Friday. The award-winning Scottish icon 'died while on a hill climb', reports claim. His cause of death has not yet been revealed. Gary, known as one of Scotland's finest comedians, was due to perform in Aberdeen next month before his sudden death. Fellow comic Kevin Bridges shared a devastating tribute on Instagram alongside a photo of Gary. He wrote: 'RIP big Gary, very sad news.' In an Instagram post, comedy club The Stand in Glasgow announced his passing in a heartbreaking tribute. A statement read: 'We here at The Stand are utterly devastated to hear the news of the passing of big Gary Little. An incredible comic, huge personality and friend to many. 'We are lost for words, and he will be profoundly and sorely missed. Our thoughts go out to all his family and friends right now. 'There will be many a comic thinking about him tonight, telling stories and raising a glass. He would have liked that.' The Some Laugh podcast also shared their condolence, writing: We're absolutely gutted to learn of the passing of the legend Gary Little. 'Gary was one of the best stand-ups Scotland has ever produced, an absolute powerhouse of a comedian as well as a genuinely lovely guy with a heart of gold. 'It was a pleasure to learn from someone like Gary as we were all coming up on the comedy scene, and his episode an appearance on our live show are up there with the all-time moments of the pod.' Gary rose to prominence in the early 2000s, gaining recognition as a finalist in a stand-up competition hosted by The Stand comedy club.


The Sun
4 minutes ago
- The Sun
Real reason why this year's Strictly line-up is so weak and could spell the END of show as ratings plummet
THE annual Strictly line-up unveiling usually means bookies pinpoint their favourite contenders, rank outsiders and some potential dark horses. But this year, in a move likely to rock BBC bosses, betting giants are offering odds on this being the show's final outing. 15 Within an hour of the 15 celebrities being confirmed yesterday, Ladbrokes said there was an 8/1 chance the competition would NOT be back. It cited the 'underwhelming' line-up, and falling viewing figures for the bleak prediction. The final three names — former Lioness Karen Carney, Game of Thrones actor Kristian Nairn and showbiz reporter Ross King — clearly didn't impress. But other worrying trends in the line-up emerged too. For a second year running just six women have signed up, compared to nine men. Previously the split had been roughly 50/50 between the sexes. Negativity still lingers Last year the phenomenon was attributed to the Giovanni Pernice scandal, with some fearing it had put off women from joining. The Italian prof had been accused of bullying behaviour towards Amanda Abbington on the 2023 show. Amid that investigation it emerged fellow professional dancer Graziano di Prima had kicked his 2023 Strictly dance partner Zara McDermot t, and he was fired last July. No doubt the Beeb hoped those dark clouds had dispersed, not least because blind comic Chris McCausland's 2024 triumph helped bathe the show in a positive light. But this year's lack of participants from big TV programmes suggest negativity still lingers. Conspicuous by their absence are any non-BBC soap stars. In previous years there has been a peppering from Emmerdale, Coronation Street and Hollyoaks. Similarly other shows that normally offer up their big talents — BBC Breakfast, Good Morning Britain, This Morning, Loose Women — have kept their distance ahead of the 23rd series starting next month. Pop stars, fashion icons and politicians have also steered clear. A TV insider said: 'There's an air of caution among big stars and big shows, who all seem to be biding their time to see if there's still a whiff of the scandal that tainted the show last year. 15 15 15 'That's been borne out in some of the payments made to stars this year, even those who you wouldn't consider to be A-listers. 'Rumours are that savvy agents have bumped up their fees knowing the talent pool has shrunk. 'There are even whispers that big stars were toying with taking part, then decided against it after careful consideration. They haven't condemned the show to history quite yet, they've just adopted a 'wait and see' approach TV insider 'The fear seems to be that the Giovanni saga, combined with the Gregg Wallace affair on MasterChef and the Huw Edwards debacle, have left Auntie Beeb looking more like a weird uncle. 'They haven't condemned the show to history quite yet, they've just adopted a 'wait and see' approach.' Strictly previously landed huge stars and popular household names, particularly in the early years — from fashion icons Jodie Kidd and Jerry Hall to Spice Girl Emma Bunton and Girls Aloud singer Kimberley Walsh. Politicians including Ann Widdecombe, Ed Balls and even former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith have all donned their dancing shoes. Other belters who have taken part are Kym Marsh, Jason Donovan, Susanna Reid, Gillian Taylforth, Denise van Outen and Holly Valance. 15 This year there is just one soap star, EastEnders' Balvinder Sopal. As with Gladiators' Nitro, both were selected from Beeb programmes — making them safe bets for the broadcaster. The rest are made up of reality TV stars Vicky Pattison and Dani Dyer, three sports figures — Karen, Chris Robshaw and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink. Then there's George Clarke, who is virtually unknown outside of YouTube, and drag artist La Voix. The only other actress is ER and Doctor Who star Alex Kingston. And Thursday's reveal of former Apprentice candidate Thomas Skinner — known for his outspoken political views on social media — caused instant controversy. The show faces a particularly tough challenge to win over audiences this year too, with viewing figures on the wane. 15 In 2021, Strictly's first episode had 9.1million views, and its second had 10.6million. By last year that had fallen to 7.4million and 9.3million respectively. That's an average fall of 1.5million views over three years — or 500,000 annually. Few other shows could justify continuing at that rate of decline. 'Odds against them' Adding further to its woes is the fact BBC stablemate Celebrity Traitors is expected to air this autumn, which could not only confuse viewers but make Strictly pale by comparison. Both are hosted by Claudia Winkleman and feature a large group of famous faces competing with each other before someone is voted out. But Celebrity Traitors boasts an A-list line-up including Stephen Fry, Alan Carr, Tom Daley, Jonathan Ross and Clare Balding. 15 15 It's better, some would say, than the new selection of Strictly stars. If the two series air during the same weeks, viewers might feel forced to choose just one — and the hugely popular newcomer's first star-studded outing is more likely to triumph. Then there are inevitable comparisons with other celebrity-based shows, such as Big Brother and I'm A Celebrity, both on ITV. This year Big Brother had Hollywood's Mickey Rourke topping the bill. While over the past four years A-listers including Coleen Rooney, Nigel Farage, Matt Hancock, Boy George and David Ginola have competed in the jungle smash. It seems the days when the appeal of the show alone could bring in huge stars may have passed. TV insider An insider said: 'Of course the BBC can't be seen to splash cash on huge names in the same way that commercial channels and streamers are able to. 'The irony is that this year they haven't splurged on big names, but in some cases they ended up paying over the odds for talent anyway. 'It seems the days when the appeal of the show alone could bring in huge stars may have passed. Now bosses will be praying they can one day bring them back. 'But the odds are, literally, against them.' A BBC spokesperson said: 'We're delighted with our Class of 2025.' My View By Rod McPhee LIKE many BBC shows, Strictly has become a casualty of other people's bad behaviour and mismanagement - but it still remains one of Britain's best loved TV programmes. And as we've seen in the past, star-studded line-ups don't always provide the greatest entertainment or, indeed, the most inspiration. Only EastEnders fans would have known who Rose Ayling Ellis was back in 2021. But the deaf actress had the nation crying tears of joy with her 'silent dance' which helped her win that year's contest. Remember Emmerdale star Kelvin Fletcher was brought in from the show's reserves bench after Jamie Laing injured his ankle? He proved such a dazzling sensation he also took home the glitterball in 2019. Does the fame level of the competitors matter? Yes, it does, certainly in terms of gauging how the show is viewed in the showbiz world. But it isn't everything - and it certainly doesn't diminish its ability to consistently thrill and surprise us all. So let's not be too quick to kill the one thing so many of us love by seizing on every sign that its star might be fading. Few programmes that have been on our screens for 21 years are going to have a constantly smooth ride, let's not derail it prematurely.


Daily Mail
4 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Molly-Mae Hague drops her £300k Bentley at the garage just weeks after splashing out on the sports car - following her driving struggles with previous motor
Molly-Mae Hague was seen dropping off her £300k Bentley at the garage just weeks after splashing out on it back in July. The Love Island star, 26, spared no expense on her brand-new sports car, which features sleek black alloys and upgraded red calipers. But on Thursday, it appeared like the car needed a little TLC as she returned it to a garage in Cheshire. For the outing, Molly looked effortlessly stylish in a black top and joggers, shielding her eyes with a pair of black sunglasses. Moments later, her sister Zoe arrived with Molly's daughter Bambi to pick her up, driving the influencer home in her Land Rover. Last year in a YouTube video, Molly opened up on her former Bentley experience as she struggled to park the vehicle by the brand. But on Thursday, it seemed the car needed a little TLC as she returned it to a garage in Cheshire She said: 'It's just very exciting. I believe the car I'm driving is the Bentley Bentayga, I think that's what it is. 'It's a four-by-four but I'm pretty sure that the four-by-four Bentleys are called a Bentayga. 'But, oh my gosh, I genuinely never ever thought there was ever a car out there that would make me want to switch from my car because the [Mercedes] G-Wagon has always been a whole dream car but this is something else. 'My friend earlier just said that sitting in a Bentley is like sitting in a Chanel bag and that couldn't have summed it up any better. 'The interior of this car is pure luxury and I don't know how to act whilst driving it, put it that way.' However, Molly struggled to fit the car in a parking spot at the Trafford Centre, she added: 'What are we waiting for, loves? What's going on?' She is also the owner of her 'dream car' a Mercedes-AMG G 63 Magno Edition, purchased in 2022 to the tune of £193,000. The reality star has also been the owner of a black Ranger Rover Evoque worth a staggering £32,000, however, after just nine months of using the car, Molly revealed that she was gifting her Range Rover to her sister Zoe. Moments later, her sister Zoe arrived with Molly-Mae's daughter Bambi to pick her up, driving the influencer home in her Land Rover Despite getting her sisters hopes up, Molly eventually revealed she 'put her sensible hat on' and decided to sell the car and buy Zoe a cheaper one. She said: 'It was probably about a year ago that I made a plan to give my Range Rover to my sister because I grew so attached to my last car that I really, really didn't want to get rid of it when I got this car. 'However, I had planned to gift it to my sister before I found out I was pregnant. How do I explain this? If I wasn't pregnant and didn't have a lot of other things to be spending money on maybe I would have still given her my car. 'But I decided in the end to sell my car, which was very sad. I still got Zoe a new car - she's upgraded to an Audi. I didn't give her the Range Rover. I wanted to give it her so I could still see it but I just had to put my sensible hat on.' Molly is no stranger to parking fines, already racking up her fifth ticket of the year. Back in June, she got one as she left her £200,000 G Wagon on a street in Cheshire. The former Love Island star was seen leaving a business meeting at her office and seemed non-plussed to have been slapped with her second ticket in 24 hours. The TV personality has also received parking fines in March, February and January of this year.