Strictly Come Dancing 2025: Full list of celebrities confirmed for series 23 as Game of Thrones star and Lioness legend round out cast

The BBC celebrity competition show return in autumn, with the new cast of celebrities set to take to the dancefloor finally fully revealed. A total of 15 stars will be competing with the aim of being crowned the series winner and getting their hands on the famous glitterball trophy.

Here’s every celebrity taking part in Strictly Come Dancing series 23:

Harry Aikines-Aryeetey

Gladiators star Harry Aikines-Aryeetey is better known as Nitro to fans of the hit BBC series. The athlete-turned-TV star was the first celebrity announced for this year’s Strictly Come Dancing series, having taken part in the Christmas special in 2024.

He said: “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.”

Dani Dyer

Former Love Island winner Dani Dyer joins Strictly Come Dancing after forging a career away from the famous villa. The star, who is the daughter of actor Danny Dyer, has gone on to appear with her famous dad on Celebrity Gogglebox and fronted shows such as Absolutely Dyer: Danny and Dani Do Italy as well as penning the Sunday Times best-selling book What Would Dani Do?

Dani said of joining the show: “Getting the opportunity to be on Strictly is the second most amazing thing I’ve done this year! I feel very very blessed and cannot wait to get my dancing shoes on.”

Alex Kingston

Actress Alex Kingston is swapping the Tardis for the dancefloor, having memorably played River Song (AKA The Doctor’s Wife) in the huge BBC sci-fi series Doctor Who. Alex also shot to fame across the pond, having played Dr Elizabeth Corday in the US medical drama ER from 1997 to 2009.

Excitement is high for the actress as she prepares for the Strictly dancefloor. When asked what she thought about joining the show, Alex only said: “Aaaaagghhh!!!!!!”

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink

Former footballer Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink is better known to fans of the sport for his time in Premier League sides such as Leeds United and Chelsea, as well as his stints at Athletico Madrid and playing for the Dutch international team. He played between 1990 and 2008, and went on to a managerial career that saw him take charge at teams such as Burton Albion and Northampton Town.

Jimmy said: “Swapping the pitch for the ballroom is certainly not something I’ve done before but I’m looking forward to tackling a fun challenge! Bring on a new type of footwork, with hopefully no own goals.”

Balvinder Sopal

EastEnders actress Balvinder Sopal was the most recent star to be announced for the 2025 cast. The actress, who has played Suki Panesar-Unwin in the BBC soap since 2020, appeared on Good Morning Britain live from Albert Square, where she revealed that she was joining Strictly Come Dancing.

Balvinder said: “Being on Strictly is a dream that I held on to, with no proof that it would ever happen. Working on EastEnders and being a part of Strictly Come Dancing is the stuff that dreams are made of. I’m far too excited to put into words how I feel but I’m incredibly excited at the prospect of dancing across the ballroom!”

George Clarke

TikTok and YouTube star George Clarke was the sixth star to be announced for this year’s Strictly Come Dancing. George boasts more than 2.3m TikTok followers and 614,000 YouTube subscribers, and hosts the popular podcast The Useless Hotline Podcast alongside fellow internet star Max Balegde.

He will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of YouTuber Joe Sugg, who made a household name for himself after he finished runner-up in the 2018 series. George 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.”

La Voix

La Voix is best know to viewers as being the runner-up in last year’s series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK. The drag performer has also reached the semi-finals of Britain’s Got Talent. Following fellow Drag Race alum Tayce’s appearance on the Christmas special, La Voix makes history as the first drag queen to take part in the main series.

She said: "I've performed for royalty, RuPaul and Simon Cowell, but nothing fills me with more excitement (and quite a bit of terror) than the thought of dancing in front of millions on live Saturday night TV. Strictly is a national institution and I can't wait to get started. All that's left to say is: good luck to my partner! Here's hoping they can help me go from La Voix into La Danse."

Chris Robshaw

Chris Robshaw is an England rugby legend, having captained the national team 43 times including the Grand Slam victory in the 2016 Six Nations Tournament. He also made 300 appearances for his childhood club Harlequins RFC and became the first ever played to be named the Aviva Premiership Player of the Year twice.

On joining Strictly, Chris said: “This is about as far out of my comfort zone as it gets! I’m hoping to take my dad dancing to a whole new level, and my mum can’t wait to drag me along to her Zumba class. Let’s see if a rugby sidestep works in the Cha Cha Cha.”

Ellie Goldstein

Model, actress and activist Ellie Goldstein is swapping the cover of fashion magazines for the Strictly dancefloor. The 23-year-old made history after becoming the first ever model with Down syndrome to grace the cover of the legendary magazine Vogue. She has since worked with brand such as Gucci and Adidas, and in 2023 worked with toy manufacturer Mattel to create the first ever Barbie doll with Down syndrome.

She said: “I’m absolutely over the moon to be joining the cast and pros of Strictly Come Dancing this year. It’s a show I’ve loved watching for so long, and the chance to now be part of it feels like a dream. I know it’s going to be challenging, but I’m ready to do it with the glitter and glamour and make some magic on that dancefloor. Let the Strictly journey begin!

Thomas Skinner

Thomas Skinner is best known for his appearance on The Apprentice in 2019. He became a breakout star on the show, with viewers quickly picking up on his signature catchphrase ‘bosh’. Since then, he has appeared on Celebrity MasterChef and other shows including 8 Out Of 10 Cats and gained a following online after sharing his unusual breakfasts, filmed from Dino’s Cafe in New Spitalfields Market.

Thomas said: “I’m beyond excited to be joining Strictly Come Dancing. I’ve tackled the boardroom and some big breakfasts in my time but stepping onto the dance floor under that glitter ball is next level stuff! I’ve never danced in my life (other than at weddings) but I’m ready to graft and of course have a laugh. Bring on the sequins, sambas and most importantly, the BOSH to the ballroom!”

Vicky Pattison

TV presenter and broadcaster Vicky Pattison was the eleventh celeb to be announced for this series of STrictly Come Dancing. After launching to fame on the MTV reality show Geordie Shore, Vicky launched a media career that has seen her front documentaries, host radio shows and take part in show such as Celebrity Masterchef and Celebrity Hunted. In 2015, she was named Queen of the Jungle on I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here.

Vicky said: “I’m absolutely buzzing to be part of this year’s Strictly Come Dancing lineup... but I'd be lying if I said I wasn’t terrified. I am a not a natural dancer! However, it’s such an amazing opportunity for me to step out of my comfort zone and to challenge myself in a completely new way and I just really hope I don't make too much of a fool of myself!”

Stefan Dennis

Aussie soap legend Stefan Dennis will be swapping Ramsey Street for the Strictly ballroom this autumn, as the Neighbours star join this year’ celebrity line-up. Stefan played Paul Robinson in the iconic Australian soap opera from 1985, appearing in more than 6,000 episodes over four decades until the show’s cancellation earlier this year. The actor has also appeared in some UK-based productions including The Bill, Casualty, and Scottish soap River City.

On joining the show, Stefan said: “This is an opportunity for me to once again learn to step out of my comfort zone in the world of television. Looking forward to the sparkle and reaching for the sky.”

Ross King

Ross King is best known as the Los Angeles and Hollywood correspondent for many ITV shows, including Good Morning Britain and Lorraine. His stint as ITV’s resident celeb expert started in 1993, when he served as GMTV’s LA reporter, covering A-list celebrity gossip and huge events such as the Oscars. He has also forged a successful presenting career in the US and has published three novels with fellow author Shari Low.

Ross said of his upcoming Strictly stint: “From the bright lights of Hollywood to the glittering ballroom - it’s a dream come true to be part of such an iconic show. I can’t wait to learn from the best, meet my fellow contestants, and, most importantly… try not to step on too many toes! Let’s give this the best that I can! As my mum always said: “You’ll never know till you give it a go!”

Karen Carney

Lioness legend Karen Carney takes to the dancefloor this autumn as part of Strictly’s celebrity cast. The former footballer made her mark on the pitch playing for the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal, and Birmingham City at club level, and went on to represent England. She was capped 144 times for her country, making her the third-most capped player in lioness history, and competed in four World Cups, four European Championships and the London Olympics before hanging up her boots in 2019.

She has since served as a pundit on both men’s and women’s games on TNT Sports and ITV Sport, and made history as part of the first all-female punditry line up of a men’s match during the World Cup in 2022. Karen said: “It really is a dream come true to be a part of this year’s Strictly Come Dancing line up. I’m such a huge fan of the show and I can’t believe I’m finally getting the chance to take part. I’m so excited to meet everyone and get dancing!”

Kristian Nairn

Actor Kristian Nairn, who towers at 6ft 8in, is best known to fans of the epic fantasy series Game Of Thrones, in which he played the mostly-mute giant Hodor. His portrayal made him a fan-favourite and a cult-star of the multi-award winning series, which ran from 2011 until 2019. Kristian has also appeared as Wee John Feeney in the HBO comedy series Our Flag Means Death.

Away from the screen, the Northern Irish star has forged a successful career as a house DJ, performing with the likes of Fatboy Slim, Danny Howard, Steve Aoki and Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, and in prestigious superclubs such as Amnesia, Cafe Mambo and Hakkasan. On joining Strictly Come Dancing, Kristian said: “This will be a huge challenge for me physically, but I’m ready to rise to it! It’s a surreal and wonderful opportunity to shed one of my left feet!”