Strictly Come Dancing is officially back, which means we’re shimmying our way into 13 brilliant weeks of jazz hands, flamboyant costumes and electrifying routines.
The reality competition series returned to our screens on 20 September, where the celebrities were introduced to their professional dance partners for the first time – including the two new additions to the pro cast, American ballroom star Alexis Warr and Australian dancer Julian Caillon.
But who’s paired up this year? Meet your Strictly Come Dancing couples below…
Alex Kingston and Johannes Radebe
Alex Kingston, known for her roles in the US medical drama ER and in sci-fi series Doctor Who, said she was inspired to join the show after seeing her friend, Miranda actor Sarah Hadland, finish as a runner-up on the 2024 series.
She’s paired with Johannes Radebe, who’s been with the programme since 2021. His previous dance partners have included chef John Waite, tennis player Annabel Croft and Gladiators star Montell Douglas, with whom he finished in sixth place in last year’s series.
Kingston gained international fame for playing Dr Elizabeth Corday in ER for eight years, and won a Screen Actors Guild Award for the role. She is known to millions of Doctor Who fans as River Song, aka The Doctor’s Wife, a role she has played opposite three Doctors.
Ellie Goldstein and Vito Coppola
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Twenty-three-year-old model Ellie Goldstein is partnered with Strictly fan-favourite Vito Coppola.
In 2023, Goldstein became the first model with Down syndrome to appear on the cover of British Vogue – and has also appeared in a campaign for fashion brand Gucci. She has gone on to appear in the CBBC series Malory Towers and published two books about her life.
Coppola joined the show in 2022 and had a rapid rise to success, winning the competition the following year with his partner, Coronation Street star Ellie Leach. He was a runner-up on last year’s series alongside Miranda star Sarah Hadland.
George Clarke and Alexis Warr
George Clarke and his partner Alexis Warr are another all-new partnership, with 2025 marking Warr’s debut as a Strictly professional.
American dancer Warr is no stranger to dancing competitions – she has competed on the US version of Strictly, Dancing with the Stars, as well as performing on America's Got Talent, World of Dance and several national tours of the US.
British YouTuber Clarke, also known as George Clarkey to his millions of followers, rose to prominence after sharing humorous skits and challenges online. He also hosts a podcast, The Useless Hotline.
Ahead of his debut, Clarke said he was prepared to “fall over a fair bit” on the show.
Balvinder Sopal and Julian Caillon
Balvinder Sopal and her partner Julian Caillon are both Strictly newbies this year.
Sopal has played Walford matriarch Suki Kaur Panesar (now Unwin) on EastEnders since 2019. Caillon, a ballroom TV star from Australia, is a new recruit for the professional dancer cast, with 2025 marking his first year on the series.
Callion previously appeared as a professional dancer on three seasons of Australia’s Dancing with the Stars, has toured the world with the hit dance company Burn the Floor, and also competed on So You Think You Can Dance in Australia.
As Suki, Sopal has been at the heart of some of the soap’s most gripping storylines, from escaping her abusive husband Nish (Navin Chowdhry) to her on-off affair with Eve Unwin (Heather Peace).
Harry Aikines-Aryeetey and Karen Hauer
Former Team GB sprinter Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, known as Nitro to Gladiators fans, is partnered with Karen Hauer, the show’s longest-serving female professional. Hauer, who joined the series in 2012, lifted the glitterball trophy with Jamie Laing in 2020.
This isn’t Aikines-Aryeetey’s first time on the Strictly floor – he took part in last year's Christmas Special alongside professional dancer Nancy Xu.
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Lauren Oakley
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Dutch football legend Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, who currently works as an assistant coach for the England football team alongside manager Gareth Southgate, is partnered with pro Lauren Oakley.
In 2023, Oakley was paired with her first celebrity partner, broadcaster Krishnan Guru-Murthy, and they made it to week eight of the competition. She replaced Amy Dowden on last year’s series following the dancer’s foot injury and made it to the semi-final with former JLS singer JB Gill.
Karen Carney and Carlos Gu
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Former England footballer Karen Carney OBE is partnered with Chinese National Champion Carlos Gu.
The sports presenter will be Gu’s third partner since he joined the series in 2022, previously dancing alongside CBBC star Molly Rainford in his debut year. He was paired with presenter Angela Scanlon in 2023 and narrowly missed out in the quarter finals.
Carney is England’s third most-capped player of all time, with 144 caps. She has played for Chelsea, Arsenal, Birmingham City and the Lionesses.
La Voix and Aljaž Škorjanec
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RuPaul’s Drag Race UK star La Voix is dancing alongside long-time Strictly pro Aljaž Škorjanec, who’s served as a professional since 2013.
Škorjanec has made it to the final twice: in 2017 with Hollyoaks star Gemma Atkinson and last year with Love Island’s Tasha Ghouri.
La Voix was awarded runner-up on last year’s Drag Race and quickly became a fan favourite. She is the second drag performer to compete on Strictly, following in the footsteps of Tayce, also a former Drag Race contestant, who won last year’s Christmas Special.
Lewis Cope and Katya Jones
Emmerdale star Lewis Cope may have been a last-minute draft-in after Game of Thrones actor Kristian Nairn withdrew from the series due to medical issues, but he’s in good company with long-time pro Katya Jones.
Jones, who joined Strictly in 2016, won the show in 2017 alongside Scottish actor Joe McFadden. Last year, she was partnered with opera singer Wynne Evans and forced to speak out when a video of Jones removing Evans’s hand from her waist went viral.
Cope is best known for playing Nicky Milligan on the soap since 2022.
Vicky Pattison and Kai Widdrington
Geordie Shore star and presenter Vicky Pattison is hoping to impress the judges alongside pro dancer Kai Widdrington, who went without a partner in last year’s series.
When Widdrington joined the series in 2021, he made it to the final alongside TV presenter AJ Odudu. He didn’t have the same luck in 2022, when he was eliminated in the first week with Kaye Adams. He had another successful year with Angela Rippon in 2023, making it to the prestigious Blackpool week.
Pattison shot to fame after appearing on Geordie Shore from 2011 to 2014, and went on to win I’m a Celebrity in 2015 and appeared on Celebrity MasterChef and Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins.
Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin
Following Dani Dyer’s withdrawal from the competition due to a fractured ankle, former Love Island winner Amber Davies became Nikita Kuzmin’s last minute celebrity partner.
Kuzmin joined the series in 2021. He was partnered with TV and social media star Tilly Ramsay for his debut year, hit the dance floor with Paralympic champion Ellie Simmonds in 2022 and made it to the Final with partner Layton Williams in 2023.
After winning Love Island in 2017, Davies embarked on an acting career and has had musical theatre roles in 9 to 5: The Musical, Bring It On: The Musical, Back to the Future: The Musical and Pretty Woman.
Thomas Skinner and Amy Dowden – ELIMINATED
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Controversial former Apprentice contestant Thomas Skinner was partnered with series fan-favourite Amy Dowden. Skinner’s casting has proved controversial among some Strictly fans, after he was seen socialising with US vice-president JD Vance at a barbecue during his visit to the Cotswolds this summer, during which time he was pictured wearing a MAGA (Make America Great Again) cap. He defended attending the social event online, saying: “I am a normal bloke and it was an amazing opportunity.”
In 2023, Dowden was absent from the series as she underwent treatment for stage three breast cancer. She returned in 2024 and was briefly partnered with JB Gill but was forced to drop out after a foot injury, with Oakley taking her place.
The couple were the first to be eliminated from the series on 5 October after performing their salsa to “Bonkers” by Dizzee Rascal in the dance off.
Ross King and Jowita Przystał – ELIMINATED
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Sixty-three-year-old Good Morning Britain presenter Ross King was partnered with Jowita Przystał, who competed in last year’s competition alongside The Only Way is Essex star Pete Wicks.
King, best known for being the LA correspondent for ITV’s daytime shows, is a four-time News Emmy winner and has hosted over 30 TV series since he first debuted on radio broadcasts aged 15 and then on television at 17.
Przystal joined Strictly in 2021, rapidly making a name for herself by winning the glitterball trophy with her first celebrity dance partner, Hamza Yassin, in 2022.
On 16 October, the couple were the second to be eliminated after dancing the Paso Doble to the theme tune from Thunderbirds.
Chris Robshaw and Nadiya Bychkova – ELIMINATED
Former England rugby union player Chris Robshaw competed alongside Nadiya Bychkova but the couple left the show on 20 October after facing the dance off in week four.
The sportsman, who earned 66 caps for England and captained the national team 43 times, said his time on the programme had given him a boost in confidence.
“For me, coming onto this journey, I had no confidence. To be told I had world-class qualities on the dancefloor today, even though we have to go home, that’s amazing to hear, so thank you very much. It’s given me such confidence,” he said.
“To my partner Nadiya, I’m sorry. But it’s been an amazing journey, she’s been a brilliant teacher, I’ve developed so much, and it’s been a great ride – so thank you.”
The couple received a score of 24 for their Salsa during their last live show, placing them second to last on the leaderboard.
Stefan Dennis and Dianne Buswell – WITHDRAWN
Neighbours star Stefan Dennis had been partnered with Dianne Buswell on the competition but was forced to make an early exit after sustaining a significant calf injury in week four.
“Just when I had finally gained the confidence to do well with my dancing in the competition and achieve more great dances along the way, I was told that on Saturday I had torn my calf so significantly that I am now forced to withdraw from the show,” he wrote in a statement shared on 20 October
He added: “I can’t tell you how devastated I am to have to leave so prematurely especially as there has been, and still is, so much love and support from everyone for both Dianne (Buswell) and myself.”
Dennis – who played the villain Paul Robinson on the Australian soap – had previously been unable to dance in an earlier episode of the show due to a bout of vertigo.
Buswell announced on 15 September that she is expecting her first child with her boyfriend Joe Sugg, confirming that she would continue to dance in the series as planned.
Strictly Come Dancing continues on Saturdays, with a results show on Sundays, on BBC One.
