Strictly 2025 line-up confirms sixth contestant is social media star
The BBC reality competition series hosted by Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman is back for another year of jaw-dropping dance routines and emotional journeys for our cohort of famed contestants.
Strictly has had a difficult couple of years after pros Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima were removed from the show (and replaced) after behavioural accusations from former partners came out against them.
Earlier this month, the long-running series came under scrutiny once more with reports that two stars had used cocaine, and one veteran worker had been offered drugs at a party.
Meanwhile, beloved pro Gorka Marquez confirmed he would not be competing this year, much to everyone's devastation, but would make a cameo in some of the group performances.
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Amid all changes, however, it remains one of BBC's flagship shows with a fresh set of faces ready to take to the dance floor. So who is in the official 2025 line-up?
The sixth and latest contestant twirling onto the ballroom will be George Clarke.
Clarke is known as George Clarkey online, where he is a YouTuber, podcaster and social media star known to millions for his comedy content. He also co-hosts The Useless Hotline Podcast.
On joining Strictly, he said: '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.'
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Balvinder Sopal was confirmed as the latest celebrity to join Strictly Come Dancing on Tuesday morning during Good Morning Britain.
Richard Arnold was in Walford to confirm that an EastEnders legend was joining the ranks.
'I can't stop butterflies. Every time I think about it, they just go, so, yeah,' the actress who plays Suki in the soap said.
'I dabbled a little bit. I did ballroom and Latin as a kind of hobby, and I really love it. And I think when you've got a passion for something, you're naturally kind of inclined to enjoy it. So I'll definitely enjoy it.'
'I don't know if I'll be any good!,' she added, saying she loved the drama of Latin dancing.
'It is about telling the story with your feet, with your body, and not speaking. So, you know, won't have to learn any lines, which would be great, but it'll be like learning a new language, I think!' she said.
She confirmed she'd still be appearing on EastEnders during her stint, and wasn't sure how she'd hack it – but was excited to find out.
She added that she thought her mother would be proud of her: 'This is her dream. Actually, I think she would have been extremely proud. So, yeah, hold mom's legacy.'
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The latest additions to the Strictly line-up were confirmed on Monday's instalment of The One Show, with the secret even kept from hosts Alex Jones and Roman Kemp.
The BBC show confirmed three new names who will battle it out for the glitterball trophy, with Dani Dyer the first to walk out into the studio.
How hard was it keeping this a secret? 'So hard,' Dani said on the show. 'Especially when there was speculation and stuff, people kept coming up to me, and I'm such a bad liar. I'm going to have to send so many apologies.'
The 28-year-old reality star, and daughter of national treasure Danny Dyer, was rumoured to have signed a pre-show contract earlier this year.
When asked what her parents made of the news, Dyer said they're 'so excited'.
'It's just such a fun, magical show,' she said, 'and to be asked to do it was just such an honour. So, yeah, they're just so excited for me.'
She did admit she's nervous though. 'I think it's picking up the routines and being on live telly, it petrifies me. It's just the whole thing of being able to perform.' The training starts now!
Next up on The One Show was Alex Kingston, who tuned in from a holiday in Italy to confirm she had signed up for the Strictly ballroom.
The 62-year-old actor, who played River Song on Doctor Who (aka The Doctor's wife) opposite three Doctors on screen, was one of the names rumoured to be involved ahead of the line-up announcements this week.
'I was super excited, and now I actually am terrified,' she told the programme.
Speaking about why she decided to take the plunge, Alex said it was 2024 contestant and fellow actor Sarah Hadland who convinced her.
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'In 2019 I did a play with Sarah Hadland and we both admitted that we desperately wanted to be in Strictly,' she told hosts Alex Jones and Roman Kemp. 'When I then saw Sarah performing last year, I just thought, she's done it, and not only has she done it, she went all the way.
'I reached out and just asked her what her experience of having been part of the show was, and she was really honest with me about how hard it is, how overwhelming it can be, but also how it absolutely changed her life, and she would do it again in a heartbeat.
'It just gave me the chance to make the decision for myself as to whether I wanted to go for it. And I just thought, I'm in my 60s, just go for it.'
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Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink was the third contestant to appear on The One Show, confirming he will be swapping the pitch for the ballroom.
Alex Jones in the BBC One studio was clearly in shock when he appeared, saying she didn't think he would ever agree to it.
The ex pro footballer said his four daughters were part of the reason he decided to sign on up to the show.
The 53-year-old said from the red studio sofa: 'A few years ago, I would say the same, but I'm a father of all girls, and Strictly is part of our home life. I've got into it. I like the show, and let's have a go.
'Honestly, I have no idea what to expect. I have a little bit of rhythm.'
Jimmy played for clubs including Leeds United, Atlético Madrid and Chelsea, carving out a prolific goal-scoring career in the Premier League and across Europe.
Since retiring, Jimmy has become a familiar face in football punditry as well as a football club manager of clubs including Burton Albion and Northampton Town. He also served as an assistant coach for the England national team.
Olympian and star of BBC's Gladiators, Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, was the first famous face confirmed to grace the Strictly ballroom this autumn.
The TV personality already took part in last year's Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special with pro-partner Nancy Xu and now he is back for round two.
'After the Christmas Special, it was so nice I just had to do it twice! I'm so excited to be part of the Strictly family this series and I'm ready to give it all I've got.
'I'll be bringing tons of energy to light up the dance floor. Let's hope I'm as quick picking up the routines as I am on the track,' he said in a statement.
The multi-gold-medal-winning Team GB sprinter was announced as Nitro in the high-stakes BBC gameshow in 2023.
He will no doubt be bringing all his skills to the dance floor.
If there is one thing Harry is used to, it's being the best of the best, not only competing at the 2016 Rio Olympics but also securing the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year award in 2005 aged 17.
Not to mention being a three-time European champion and two-time Commonwealth champion. So he'll be a force to be reckoned with on the dancefloor.
As we eagerly await the full line-up, there is still plenty of speculation over who will be joining the confirmed names this year.
There are a couple of celebrities who have come out at the top of the rumour mill – including Natalie Imbruglia, 50, and Delta Goodrem, 40, who are said to be in talks to join the show. More Trending
A source told The Sun: 'Delta and Natalie would bring some glamour to the programme, and be some of this year's most eagerly anticipated competitors.
'If all three former Neighbours stars end up performing, the Strictly dance floor will end up looking more like Ramsay Street. But the next 24 hours of discussions between execs and the stars' reps are critical.'
Strictly Come Dancing returns on September 20, 2025, a week later than its usual start date.
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A version of this article was originally published on August 11.
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MORE: Inside EastEnders and Strictly star Balvinder Sopal's life and prolific career
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