Strictly Come Dancing 2025 is officially getting serious.
Blackpool Week is now out of the way, with the competition entering its final stages.
Many of the series’ lesser known stars have become household names over the past few months.
Meet all the stars below – whether they’re still in it to win it, or they’ve been booted off – and find out if they have previous dance experience.
We’ve also included the latest odds on who could be taking home the Glitterball trophy...
Lewis Cope
Emmerdale star Lewis Cope, best known for playing Nicky Milligan on the soap, stepped in on 21 August to replace Game of Thrones actor Kristian Nairn, who withdrew from the series due to medical issues.
Announcing his participation on BBC One’s The One Show, Cope said he was walking down Oxford Street on his way to meet a friend when he received a phone call from the programme’s producers.
Asked how it felt to be joining the series late, Cope said: “I think, if anything, it’s probably helped me because I haven’t really had time to think about it or anything so now the excitement has kind of just taken over.”
Cope added that he was looking to most impress judge Shirley Ballas out of the show’s panel.
Away from the Dales, Cope has had roles in TV shows including Vera, Miss Sidhu Investigates, and Hetty Feather. On stage, he played the lead in the Olivier-nominated show, Agatha Christie’s Witness for the Prosecution, toured the UK in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and made his stage debut in the West End’s Billy Elliot: The Musical, aged 11.
Karen Carney
Former England footballer Karen Carney OBE was the 14th person to be revealed. Carney, 38, is the lead female sports presenter for both men’s and women’s football acros TNT and ITV. She has played for Chelsea, Arsenal, Birmingham City and the Lionesses.
She is England’s third most-capped player of all time, with 144 caps. She has competed at four World Cups, four European Championships and the London Olympics before retiring in 2019.
“It really is a dream come true to be a part of this year’s Strictly Come Dancing line up,” she said. “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!”
Carney was awarded an MBE in 2017 and an OBE in 2024 for services to association football.
George Clarke
George Clarke, a British YouTuber, podcaster and social media star, has said he’s prepared to “fall over a fair bit” as a contestant on Strictly.
Clarke, also known as George Clarkey to his millions of followers online, rose to prominence after sharing humorous skits and challenges on his TikTok account and YouTube channel. He also hosts a podcast, The Useless Hotline.
When his casting was announced on BBC Radio 1 on Tuesday (12 August), Clarke said: “I feel like a lot of people will be saying... ‘Who?’”
On joining the show, 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.”
Balvinder Sopal
Balvinder Sopal has played Walford matriarch Suki Kaur Panesar (now Unwin) on EastEnders since 2019. She said of her casting on Strictly: “Working on EastEnders and being a part of Strictly Come Dancing is the stuff thatdreams are made of.”
As Suki, she 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).
Away from Albert Square, Sopal has also appeared in Call The Midwife, Doctors, and Waterloo Road.
Sopal said “being on Strictly is a dream that I held on to, with no proof that it would ever happen”, adding: “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!”
The news was revealed from Albert Square on Tuesday 12 August on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, where Sopal revealed she has past dancing experience.
“I dabbled a little bit. I did ballroom and Latin as a hobby and really loved it. When you've got a passion for something, you're more inclined to enjoy it."
Amber Davies
Davies, who replaced Dani Dyer in the competition after she withdrew due to injury, shot to fame after winning Love Island in 2017.
She has since taken on numerous musical theatre roles, including 9 to 5: The Musical, Bring It On: The Musical, Back to the Future: The Musical and Pretty Woman. She also competed in the sixteenth series of Dancing on Ice in 2024.
Next year, she will play Reese Witherspoon’s role in a Legally Blonde musical.
On joining Strictly, Davies said: “I’ve watched Strictly with my family since I was younger and to now be part of the show is a dream come true. I’m going to give it my all and I am sending Dani well wishes for a speedy recovery. I hope I do her proud.”
Alex Kingston
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.
Kingston gained international fame as 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, which she has played opposite three Doctors.
She has also appeared in TV shows Douglas Is Cancelled, Treason, Gilmore Girls: A Year in The Life, Boudica and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. She has held numerous stage roles, as Lady Macbeth, Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest and Prospero for the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Tempest.
While appearing on The One Show for her Strictly announcement, Kingston admitted that she was “terrified”.
On whether she had any previous dance experience, Kingston said that her “hips don’t lie”.
Kristian Nairn – WITHDRAWN
Game of Thrones actor and DJ Kristian Nairn was forced to pull out of the competition early due to unexpected medical reasons.
Nairn, who played Hodor in the popular fantasy series based on the books by George R R Martin, said in a statement on 21 August: “With a heavy heart, I have to step back from this season of Strictly Come Dancing due to unexpected medical reasons.”
“I was truly looking forward to the journey, and I’m deeply sorry to disappoint anyone who was looking forward to seeing me on the dance floor.”
Earlier in August, he was the final contestant to be announced for the 2025 series and said at the time he was ready to rise to the challenge, calling it a “surreal and wonderful opportunity”.
Thomas Skinner – ELIMINATED
Divisive Apprentice star Thomas Skinner said he was “beyond excited” to be joining the BBC dancing show and added that he had “never danced in my life other than at weddings”.
Since The Apprentice, the 34-year-old has appeared on numerous TV shows, including Celebrity MasterChef, 8 Out of 10 Cats and The Wheel. He has also released the self help book Graft – How to Smash Life and presented the mental health podcast The Men’s Room.
Skinner and his professional partner, Amy Dowden, were the first couple to be eliminated from the 2025 series.
Ross King – ELIMINATED
The 63-year-old is known for presenting ITV breakfast programmes, including Good Morning Britain and Lorraine, as their Los Angeles correspondent.
King 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. He was awarded an MBE in 2018 for services to broadcasting, the arts and charity.
The presenter was partnered with Jowita Przystał and they were the second couple to be eliminated from the series.
Chris Robshaw – 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 – WITHDRAWN
Neighbours star Stefan Dennis was 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. “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 dancing show due to a bout of vertigo.
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink – ELIMINATED
Dutch football legend Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, who currently works as an assistant coach for the England football team alongside manager Gareth Southgate, was the fourth contestant to be eliminated from the competition alongside his pro partner Lauren Oakley,
Hasselbaink has played for clubs including Leeds United, Atlético Madrid and Chelsea, earning a reputation as a prolific goal scorer.
Since retiring, Hasselbaink has become a familiar face in football punditry in the UK, and has managed clubs including Burton Albion and Northampton Town.
Hasselbaink, 53, admitted the dancing competition will bring him “totally out of my comfort zone,” adding: “I have no idea what to expect, I have a little bit of rhythm.”
He added that appearing on Strictly would be more nerve-wracking than scoring goals in front of thousands each week, saying: “Playing football in front of 70,000 people is easy, but dancing in front of people and with a partner who knows it 100 times better than you, it’s crazy.”
Ellie Goldstein – ELIMINATED
Ellie Goldstein was the fifth contestant to be eliminated from the series, alongside her pro partner Vito Coppola.
Goldstein made history in 2023 as 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. As well as modelling, Goldstein acts, having appeared in CBBC series Malory Towers.
Goldstein, who appeared on The Great Stand Up to Cancer Bake Off in April 2025, said she was “absolutely over the moon to be joining” Strictly as it’s “a show I’ve loved watching for so long”.
Harry Aikines-Aryeetey – ELIMINATED
Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, known as Nitro to Gladiators fans, was the sixth contestant to be eliminated, alongside his pro partner Karen Hauer.
The athlete, a former Team GB sprinter who joined Gladiators in 2023, took part in last year's Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special alongside professional dancer Nancy Xu.
Aikines-Aryeetey said the Christmas Special “was so nice I just had to do it twice”.
He has competed at two Olympic Games and is a three-time European champion and two-time Commonwealth champion. He also became the first athlete to win gold medals at both 100 and 200 metres at the World Youth Championships. He won the 2005 BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year, aged 17.
Vicky Pattison – ELIMINATED
Vicky Pattison, who shot to fame after appearing on Geordie Shore from 2011 to 2014, is adding Strictly to her bursting list of TV competition credits, having won I’m a Celebrity in 2015 and appeared on Celebrity MasterChef and Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins.
Pattison is also a TV presenter, having fronted shows on MTV and ITV. She hosted Channel 4 documentary Vicky Pattison: Alcohol, Dad and Me, which raised awareness of alcohol addiction, and has campaigned for women’s health and emotional wellbeing.
“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,” she said.
“I am 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.”
La Voix – WITHDRAWN
RuPaul’s Drag Race UK star La Voix was the seventh contestant to be announced for Strictly’s 2025 instalment.
La Voix was awarded runner-up on last year’s Drag Race and quickly became a fan favourite. She has also appeared on ITV's Queens For The Night, on Paramount’s Queen Of The Universe and wowed the judges as a semi-finalist on Britain's Got Talent.
On her live tour, La Voix Meets, she's interviewed legends such as Dawn French, Joanna Lumley, Su Pollard, and Vanessa Feltz, and performed for the Royal Family at their New Year's Eve ball.
On joining Strictly, La Voix 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.”
La Voix 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.
