Strictly 2025 Line-Up Revealed: Doctor Who Icon, Neighbours Legend, and a Shock Signing

Strictly is back for series 23, and yes, it has survived another round of tabloid drama. Last year ended with one of the show’s sweetest wins ever: blind comedian Chris McCausland and pro Dianne Buswell lifting the glitterball. This year, the tweaks are small but noticeable — voting is now online only, and the ballroom got a little spruce-up — but the game is the same: a fresh batch of famous faces trying to impress the judges without tripping over their own feet. The pros have met their partners, there’s already some delicious inside baseball (a late casting swap, full-glam drag every week, a couple of stealth ringers), and the vibes are good.

The vibe check

Despite last year’s off-screen noise, Strictly keeps chugging. The cast is a mix of actors, athletes, reality TV names, and one very excited model blazing her own trail. A few have past dance experience they’ll need to unlearn, several are game but raw, and the athletes are exactly as coachable as you’d hope. Let’s meet the class of 2025.

The couples

Dianne Buswell with Stefan Dennis (66, Neighbours actor)

Dianne is coming in off a win and immediately parking the victory lap: every season resets you to zero. She’s leaning into Stefan’s acting chops because character work is her thing. Funny kicker: when they met, he had no clue she was last year’s winning pro.

Stefan’s take is refreshingly blunt — he didn’t recognize Dianne at first, he thinks she’s brilliant, and he’s here to graft. The man is coming off another Neighbours shutdown, which freed him up for Strictly; semi-retirement turned into daily training marathons that make Ramsay Street hours look like a half-day. As for the field, he’s keeping an eye on Dani Dyer, Karen Carney, and Lewis Cope, he thinks Harry Aikines-Aryeetey could surprise, and he calls Ellie Goldstein a bowl of positivity.

Katya Jones with Lewis Cope (30, Emmerdale actor)

Katya calls herself the queen of dad-dancers, but not this year. Everyone knows Lewis can move; she wants to sculpt him into a ballroom dancer. The twist? His musical-theatre past might complicate things — unlearning habits can be tougher than starting from scratch.

Lewis had a chaotic entry: he joined late, replacing Game of Thrones alum Kristian Nairn. He got the first call on a Monday, said yes by Wednesday, and was on The One Show by Thursday. He’s in a whirlwind and taking it day by day. Yes, he was in Billy Elliot as a kid, but it was mostly tap, and that was nearly two decades ago. If he makes it to Musicals Week, he’d love a Billy nod. The fake tan hasn’t happened yet — he’s worried about the white bedding — but he admits the Strictly wardrobe flips a switch: you stand differently, talk differently, walk differently. You glow.

Carlos Gu with Karen Carney (38, ex-pro footballer)

Carlos is thrilled: Karen’s stamina and muscle memory are exactly what you want from a former England international. More importantly, she learns fast. Karen says the launch felt like joining a massive squad, but now it’s just her and Carlos, and she trusts him completely. She’s trying not to bring that win-at-all-costs sports headspace to the floor — her focus is joy and being present, not chasing medals. She jokes that if she’d been more ruthless, she might have gold instead of silver and bronze, but she’s serious about this: competitiveness can also mean pushing yourself to be your best, not beating the person next to you.

Johannes Radebe with Alex Kingston (62, Doctor Who and ER)

They showed up in matching ruffle shirts, which feels like fate. Johannes loves that Alex treats dance as storytelling (because it is) and says she has rhythm and real joy when she moves. Alex finally said yes after watching her friend Sarah Hadland do it last year; the two had wanted to sign up back in 2019 but their agents were killjoys. Alex’s biggest hurdle is the vulnerability — millions of people watching, and judges she mostly agrees with, so she can’t just brush off the feedback.

Aljaž Škorjanec with La Voix (45, drag queen)

During the partner-testing 'speed dating' day, the studio was a sauna — and La Voix didn’t sweat a drop. Years of performing under club lights will do that. They clicked instantly. She’s treating Strictly as a full fantasy: the plan is super-glam, every week, no compromises. And yes, she can handle a judge’s barbs.

"If Craig goes too far, I will give as good as I get. I can’t help it. My mouth is my problem."

Karen Hauer with Harry Aikines-Aryeetey (37, sprinter and Gladiator)

Karen’s giving Olympian-level notes — toe isolations and shoulder tweaks that sound like anatomy exams — but keeping it fun. Harry knows the difference between the Christmas special and the real thing.

"Christmas tens don’t equate to real tens."

Compared to Gladiators (where he’s Nitro) and sprinting, he says Strictly is basically a holiday: no pugil sticks, no racing Usain Bolt. He fully intends to bring a Strictly pinkie and pointed toe back to the arena.

Jowita Przystał with Ross King (63, showbiz reporter)

These two behave like old friends — which gets them told off for chatting. Jowita says Ross’s biggest weapon is his personality; the technique can be taught. Ross is used to telling other people’s stories, not being in one, so this is strange territory. Live TV won’t faze him, though. Scotland is backing him, and Lorraine Kelly has been calling him 'twinkletoes' from day one.

Nadiya Bychkova with Chris Robshaw (39, ex-rugby player)

Nadiya loves a disciplined partner, and Chris is that guy. She even hints he might be her best athlete yet. He’s naturally competitive but knows Strictly punishes try-hard energy; his personal race is to outlast his mate Ugo Monye’s run. He signed up to push himself — and because his young son loves dancing. Demand for tickets among his friends is wild; apparently Strictly is harder to get into than a Test at Twickenham.

Kai Widdrington with Vicky Pattison (37, reality TV star)

Kai wanted Vicky, and they’ve got a Geordie family connection through his Newcastle roots. Vicky didn’t even do a proper first dance at her wedding, so this is a leap. She’s thrilled to finally be asked — her agent told her she was doing it even while she was pretending to think about it — but the difference from I’m a Celebrity is stark: no kangaroo bits, no bubble, just judges and the entire country (including Sandra from Surrey) watching her learn a new skill in real time.

Vito Coppola with Ellie Goldstein (23, model and actor)

Vito calls their dynamic big brother/little sister and wants the world to see Ellie exactly as she is. She’s buzzing about the lights, the glitz, and the scale of it all. As the first model with Down’s syndrome to front a Vogue cover, she knows what representation means and hopes her Strictly run nudges people toward their own dreams. On the fangirl list: Dani Dyer, La Voix, and several pros (with Vito, naturally, at the top).

Ellie already has a dance wishlist: cha-cha-cha, Charleston, foxtrot, and waltz.

Amy Dowden with Thomas Skinner (34, The Apprentice alum)

Amy loves Tom’s graft. He’s up at 3am for the market, then throws himself into rehearsal without flinching. He signed up because he wants to prove someone like him can learn to dance — and because Strictly’s family joy got him. West Ham fans have been stopping him en masse to wish him luck, and he’s proudly dancing for every dad with a beer belly.

Alexis Warr with George Clarke (25, social media influencer)

Alexis sees natural rhythm and quick pick-up in George — followed by the classic overthink that tangles your feet. She likes his goofy groove from his online videos and sees real potential. George said yes because opportunities don’t always stick around; in a few years, the internet might have moved on. His nan would have disowned him if he turned this down, and he’s enjoying being recognized by people nowhere near his usual demo.

Julian Caillon with Balvinder Sopal (46, EastEnders actor)

Across the pro room, Balvinder landed in almost everyone’s top two after that first meet-and-greet: she has a hidden natural ability. She dabbled in social ballroom ages ago because Strictly inspired her, but classes got too pricey. This is her 'yes' year after losing her mum in 2024; they watched the show together, and Balvinder wants to step into her mum’s energy and make her proud.

Nikita Kuzmin with Dani Dyer (29, Love Island winner)

Nikita checked around and got the same verdict from everyone: Dani is kind and lovely. Right now, she’s more wiggle than waltz, but that’s a start. Her dad, Danny Dyer, immediately told half the country she was doing the show — he’s that excited and will be at the first live. Dani’s hyped for Musicals Week, and Dan Walker (they climbed Kilimanjaro together) told her he wishes he could do Strictly again because it’s the best time.

Lauren Oakley with Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (53, ex-footballer)

Lauren loves that Jimmy takes direction like a dream — decades of coaching will do that — and he’s got rhythm to work with. He mostly dances in the kitchen with his daughters; one tried to get him to do a mid-air box jump split. His girls ordered him to accept Strictly the second the invite came. He says football is easy; dancing is the scary bit, which is exactly why he’s doing it. With a sporty line-up this year (footballers, rugby, and a sprinter-turned-Gladiator), expect a competitive streak. For now, he’s focused on getting better week by week.

Bottom line

Online-only voting, a shiny set, a late sub in the cast, and plenty of personalities: no seismic changes, just good telly. If last year proved anything, it’s that Strictly can drown out the noise when the dancing clicks. We’ll see who salsas, who stiffens, and who sneaks up on everyone by Blackpool.