YouTube star and EastEnders actress among first batch of Strictly contestants
Podcast host and YouTube star George Clarke was announced as the sixth celebrity contestant on Tuesday during BBC Radio 1's Going Home drivetime show.
Clarke, also known as George Clarkey, 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.'
It comes after EastEnders actress Balvinder Sopal was revealed as a contestant during a segment filmed live from Albert Square on ITV's Good Morning Britain (GMB).
She said that 'being on Strictly is a dream that I held on to, with no proof that it would ever happen'.
The other stars confirmed to be competing are Love Island winner Dani Dyer, Gladiators star Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, Doctor Who actress Alex Kingston and former footballer Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.
Speaking on The One Show after her reveal, Dyer, who is the daughter of actor Danny Dyer, said: 'It's such a fun magical show – to be asked to do it is such an honour.
'I just can't wait to be able to wear (the costumes) – it's going to be so much fun.'
A post shared by BBC Strictly (@bbcstrictly)
Former Chelsea footballer Hasselbaink said: 'I'm a father of only girls and Strictly is a part of our home life – I like the show. Let's have a go.'
Actress Kingston, who interrupted her holiday in Italy to speak to hosts Alex Scott and Roman Kemp, joked: 'I was super excited but now I'm terrified.'
Aikines-Aryeetey, known as Nitro on the rebooted Gladiators, previously competed in last year's Strictly Christmas Special and described his decision to return on Monday as 'so nice I just had to do it twice'.
In July, the BBC announced that two 'incredible' new professional dancers, US-born Alexis Warr and Australian dancer Julian Caillon, would be joining the show.
Daly and Winkleman will return as presenters with Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke and Shirley Ballas on the judges' table.
Strictly will return to BBC One and BBC iPlayer this September.
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Daily Mirror
2 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
'I played Hug, Marry, Avoid with Labour MP Dawn Butler and couldn't stop laughing'
The Mirror's new YouTube show Party Games sees familiar faces from across the political spectrum for a party like no other - with a series of games to tease out stories from MPs It is not often you get to play games with elected Members of Parliament. But it is exactly what I am doing on The Mirror 's new show, Party Games, which was launched this Saturday, June 16. In the programme on The Mirror's YouTube channel, I host familiar faces from across the political spectrum for a party like no other. Our first guest is Labour MP for Brent East Dawn Butler. You can watch the first episode on YouTube now. Wearing an obligatory party hat, I spin a wheel of fortune to decide which games to play - with each one having its own special ability to tease out funny stories, emotional moments and, of course, some political jabs from MPs. They include 'Would You Rather?' where MPs have to make a painful choice out of two options, and 'Never Have I Ever?', There is also the 'Ask Me Anything' round and the '30-Second Pitch', where the guest gets to talk for 30 seconds about an issue, cause or campaign they are passionate about. There is also the 'Ask Me Anything' round and 'Hug, Marry, Avoid', where MPs have to choose who'd they'd hug, marry or avoid out of a given list of three people. I have to admit Dawn's reaction including Reform UK MPs Nigel Farage, Lee Anderson and Richard Tice did draw a cackling laugh out of me. "What? What are you talking about?," she said incredulously. "They're not options. They're all the same... I feel like I need help after this. I need therapy now." In an age where MPs face increasingly vicious intimidation, hate and violence, The Mirror's show hopes to allow viewers to get to know the humans behind the pomp of Westminster. Here's a look at some of the best moments from the episode. Have you ever been told off by the Speaker? 'Well obviously I got thrown out of Parliament for calling Boris Johnson a liar,' she said. 'He lied over and over and over again. I was just like, come on, he's gaslighting the whole country. And I'd had enough. I'm that kind of conviction politician, so what is the point in me being here if I'm not going to sort of speak truth to power? The doorkeepers came up to me and said, I had to leave Parliament - the whole estate - straight away, or do I need to be escorted off? And I was like, good job I had my keys on me.' Would you rather be London mayor or Prime Minister? 'London mayor. To represent London - and I'm a Londoner through, born in East London - just having London the way I have experienced it and see it, and just making London wonderful for everyone, and everyone being sort of proud of London and being a Londoner, yeah, I'd love to be Mayor of London.' Asked if she'd be running in the next mayoral election, she added: 'Once there's a vacancy, I will put my hat in the ring.' What was your greatest moment in politics? 'I was the first black female MP to ever stand at that despatch box as a government minister. And when I think back, I think, God, I made history. And a few weeks before, we were talking about the abolition of slavery, and I thought, God, they'd all be spinning in their graves knowing that there's a black woman at the dispatch box representing Her Majesty's Government. And so that's one of my proudest moments.' Would you rather stand out or follow the crowd? 'You have to stand out from the crowd, especially if you're a Black woman, what's the point? You're always going to stand out, right? And I remember somebody saying to me that if I want to be taken seriously as a politician, I need to tone down my dress. And that was it: I was like, illuminate! You're going to need sunglasses when I walk in a room.' Watch the Mirror's YouTube show Party Games IT is not often you get to play games with elected Members of Parliament. But it is exactly what I am doing on The Mirror's show, Party Games, which was launched last night. In the programme on the Mirror's YouTube channel, I host familiar faces from across the political spectrum for a party like no other. Wearing an obligatory party hat, I spin a wheel of fortune to decide which games to play - with each one having its own special ability to tease out funny stories, emotional moments and, of course, some political points from MPs. They include 'Would You Rather?' where MPs have to make a painful choice out of two options, and 'Never Have I Ever?', There is also the 'Ask Me Anything' round and 'Hug, Marry, Avoid', where MPs have to choose who'd they'd hug, marry or avoid out of a given list of three people. The '30-Second Pitch' round is where the guest gets to talk for 30 seconds about an issue, cause or campaign they are passionate about. In an age where MPs face increasingly vicious intimidation, hate and violence, The Mirror's show hopes to allow viewers to get to know the humans behind the pomp of Westminster. You can watch Party Games on YouTube now. What is an issue you are passionate about? 'My summer campaign 2025 is about cleaning up our high streets. At the moment, councils are not allowed to say no to betting shops and adult gaming centres. That's why we have so many in poorer areas. So what I want to do is make sure we change the law - the 2005 Gambling Act - so that councils can have more of a say, so that people can have more of a say, because our high streets deserve to be better, we deserve high streets that are full of beautiful complexity and not so many betting shops.'
Daily Mirror
2 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
'I got kicked out of Parliament for my brutal takedown of Boris Johnson'
Dawn Butler has said there's no point in being an MP if it's not to 'speak truth to power' as she recounted being kicked out of Parliament for insulting Boris Johnson A Labour MP who was kicked out of Parliament for calling Boris Johnson a one-word insult has doubled down with a more brutal attack. Appearing on The Mirror 's new show Party Games, Dawn Butler said the former Tory PM was "gaslighting the whole country" looked back on being thrown out of the Commons in 2021. The moment came up as the Labour MP for Brent East played 'Never Have I Ever?' with The Mirror's Sophie Huskisson - and was asked 'Never Have I Ever been told off by the Speaker'. The Mirror's new YouTube show Party Games, which launched on Saturday, sees MPs play a series of games, which tease out funny stories, emotional moments and political jabs from MPs. You can watch the first episode with Ms Butler on YouTube by clicking here. 'I played Hug, Marry, Avoid with Labour MP Dawn Butler and couldn't stop laughing' Asked if she'd ever been told off by the Speaker in the House of Commons, Ms Butler responded: 'Well obviously I got thrown out of Parliament for calling Boris Johnson a liar.' Pressed why she called him that, she continued: 'Because he was a liar! He lied over and over and over again. 'I was just like, come on, he's gaslighting the whole country. And I'd had enough. I'm that kind of conviction politician, so what is the point in me being here if I'm not going to sort of speak truth to power? The doorkeepers came up to me and said, I had to leave Parliament - the whole estate - straight away, or do I need to be escorted off? And I was like, good job I had my keys on me.' The row happened in 2021 during a discussion in the Commons on the prospect of a public inquiry into the government's handling of the pandemic. Under the Commons rules, it is forbidden to call another MP a liar and considered unparliamentary language. But Ms Butler had had enough of Mr Johnson's behaviour during the pandemic and told the Commons: "Poor people in our country have paid with their lives because the Prime Minister has spent the last 18 months misleading this House and the country over and over again." She highlighted disputed claims made by the PM about the Covid vaccination programme, adding: "It's dangerous to lie in a pandemic. I am disappointed the Prime Minister has not come to the House to correct the record and correct the fact that he has lied to the House and the country over and over again." Ms Butler refused and said: "It's funny that we get in trouble in this place for calling out the lie rather than the person lying." After being asked to reflect on her words, she added: "I've reflected on my words and somebody needs to tell the truth in this House that the Prime Minister has lied." Here's a look at some of the other best moments from the episode Would you rather be London mayor or Prime Minister? 'London mayor. To represent London - and I'm a Londoner through, born in East London - just having London the way I have experienced it and see it, and just making London wonderful for everyone, and everyone being sort of proud of London and being a Londoner, yeah, I'd love to be Mayor of London.' Asked if she'd be running in the next mayoral election, she added: 'Once there's a vacancy, I will put my hat in the ring.' What was your greatest moment in politics? 'I was the first black female MP to ever stand at that despatch box as a government minister. And when I think back, I think, God, I made history. And a few weeks before, we were talking about the abolition of slavery, and I thought, God, they'd all be spinning in their graves knowing that there's a black woman at the dispatch box representing Her Majesty's Government. And so that's one of my proudest moments.' Watch the Mirror's YouTube show Party Games IT is not often you get to play games with elected Members of Parliament. But it is exactly what I am doing on The Mirror's show, Party Games, which was launched last night. In the programme on the Mirror's YouTube channel, I host familiar faces from across the political spectrum for a party like no other. Wearing an obligatory party hat, I spin a wheel of fortune to decide which games to play - with each one having its own special ability to tease out funny stories, emotional moments and, of course, some political points from MPs. They include 'Would You Rather?' where MPs have to make a painful choice out of two options, and 'Never Have I Ever?', There is also the 'Ask Me Anything' round and 'Hug, Marry, Avoid', where MPs have to choose who'd they'd hug, marry or avoid out of a given list of three people. The '30-Second Pitch' round is where the guest gets to talk for 30 seconds about an issue, cause or campaign they are passionate about. In an age where MPs face increasingly vicious intimidation, hate and violence, The Mirror's show hopes to allow viewers to get to know the humans behind the pomp of Westminster. You can watch Party Games on YouTube now. Would you rather stand out or follow the crowd? 'You have to stand out from the crowd, especially if you're a Black woman, what's the point? You're always going to stand out, right? And I remember somebody saying to me that if I want to be taken seriously as a politician, I need to tone down my dress. And that was it: I was like, illuminate! You're going to need sunglasses when I walk in a room.' What is an issue you are passionate about? 'My summer campaign 2025 is about cleaning up our high streets. At the moment, councils are not allowed to say no to betting shops and adult gaming centres. That's why we have so many in poorer areas. So what I want to do is make sure we change the law - the 2005 Gambling Act - so that councils can have more of a say, so that people can have more of a say, because our high streets deserve to be better, we deserve high streets that are full of beautiful complexity and not so many betting shops.'
Metro
31 minutes ago
- Metro
Strictly Come Dancing winner ‘revealed' before the show even begins
The winner of Strictly Come Dancing has been predicted following the full lineup reveal. The BBC dancing competition hosted by Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman is back for another year of emotional journeys and stunning dance routines. In recent years, the reality series has been plagued by controversies. Two former professionals on the show in Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima were removed from the (and replaced) after behavioural accusations from former partners were revealed. The recent addition of Thomas Skinner to the cast has also been widely criticised. Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro's TV Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we'll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you. Now, however, according to Ladbrokes, there is a clear favourite to win the Glitterball Trophy. Trailblazer Ellie Goldstein is currently leading the way to win the entire show. The model and actress is just 3/1 to win the final, having entered as an 8/1 shot on Wednesday. She is just ahead of YouTuber George Clarke, who is at 5/1 odds. Ellie Goldstein – 3/1George Clarke – 5/1Dani Dyer – 6/1Vicky Pattison – 7/1Harry Aikines-Aryeetey – 8/1Thomas Skinner – 10/1Karen Carney – 12/1La Voix – 14/1Alex Kingston – 16/1Balvinder Sopal – 16/1Chris Robshaw – 16/1Kristian Nairn – 20/1Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink – 25/1Ross King – 33/1 Stefan Dennis – 33/1 Meanwhile, TV personality Dani Dyer is closely following behind after she was given 6/1 odds. Another big mover is The Apprentice star Thomas Skinner, who has been backed into 10/1 from 25/1. Propping up the market at 33/1 are Neighbours icon Stefan Dennis and entertainment reporter Ross King. Cal Gildart of Ladbrokes said: 'With every contestant confirmed, punters have been making their favourites known. Ellie Goldstein has waltzed her way to the head of the betting, but it's tight at the top.' This comes after beloved pro Gorka Marquez confirmed he would not be competing this year. The Spanish dancer, 34, has been competing in the BBC show since 2016 and has been a fan favourite who placed as runner up on three separate occasions. More Trending Gorka was forced to break a few hearts on social media as he announced to fans that a new gig would clash with Strictly this year. 'I am Happy to announce that I will be back for season two of BAILANDO CON LAS ESTRELLAS as a judge from September. 'Due to the filming dates, this means that I won't be competing with a partner this year in Strictly.' View More » Strictly Come Dancing will be available to watch on BBC. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: One of UK's 'most beautiful' beaches shut off to sunseekers over safety concerns MORE: From a torn vulva to an accidental C-section – the most painful reality TV injuries ever MORE: Disturbing horror that left fans 'too scared to sleep' now streaming for free
