By Indigo Jones
Copyright walesonline
It’s that time of year again, where Strictly Come Dancing returns to our screens and we try and figure out how exactly do we know the 15 contestants who will be heading to the ballroom. This year they have a varied cast including a former England rugby captain , a drag queen from RuPaul’s Drag Race and a Neighbours legend. One of the contestants competing for the coveted glitterball is 25-year-old George Clarke , who some member of the audience may not know. The young social media star has risen to fame over the last six years, although older viewers may be oblivious to his large following. So, who is George and how is he famous enough to be on this year’s Strictly Come Dancing ? For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter . First things first, this George Clarke is not a British architect and TV presenter, however he is no stranger to the screen. Strictly Come Dancing’s George Arthur Clarke is a social media star who first launched his Tik Tok and YouTube accounts in 2019. He rose to fame on TikTok, where he goes by @georgeclarkeey, during the pandemic when he began posting entertainment, gaming, sketches, vlog and reaction videos. His awkward, yet funny content enticed audiences gaining him an impressive following of more than 2.3 million fans on the app. Since then he has also featured on the Netflix reality programme, Inside, hosted by the famous social media stars the Sidemen. The social media star also hosts the Useless Hotline Podcast with friend and influencer Max Balegde, which they started in 2022. Their show is the number one charting UK podcast, which they describe as “a place to send your queries and dilemmas no matter how big, small, weird, or embarrassing. We can’t guarantee good advice or that you will leave a changed person, but we can guarantee that this is a useless hotline.” Last year, they even embarked on a live UK tour of their podcast, and this year they made an appearance at Reading and Leeds festivals. Between his impressive social media career as well as his appearance on the popular podcast, George has amassed a hefty net worth. According to networthspot.com, net worth is estimated to be between $266.6 thousand and $373.3 thousand, although it has not been confirmed. In terms of his romantic life, George recently disclosed why he chose to make his relationship with lingerie model Yasmin Amelia public mere hours before his Strictly Come Dancing announcement was revealed. He had previously remained coy about his romantic situation with the recent Northumbria University grad, and up until this point, he had frequently made light of his dating experiences whilst sidestepping enquiries about his personal relationships. He shared on the Useless Hotline Podcast: “That’s part of the reason why we wanted to say something. Because the two options were, say something. You have full control over how it comes out. “Whatever you say is basically how people find out, or it stays private. [It] just sort of takes all the control out of your hands. But then, I [will] just go on stream after that and be like, that’s not true, by the way. But, yeah, she’s my girlfriend.” Supporters initially noticed clues about his romance during a live broadcast, and swiftly deduced that his partner was Yasmin Amelia, alternatively known as Yasmin Bennett, a model represented by J’adore Models boasting more than 30,000 Instagram followers. Whilst numerous supporters welcomed news of his blossoming romance, others expressed surprise. One Reddit user commented: “Caught me off guard because he is a very private person especially about his dating/love life. Even on the pod he has expressed his desire to keep things private and off socials.” He has also tackled rumours surrounding the notorious Strictly Curse, the term fans use to describe the pattern of celebrities abandoning their partners for someone encountered during the competition. He swiftly rejected suggestions that his relationship might be vulnerable due to his forthcoming Strictly stint, emphasising that he chose to publicise his girlfriend to maintain transparency with supporters rather than for reputation management. George also inadvertently revealed another intriguing detail during the podcast, suggesting who his dance partner might be on the programme. He disclosed that he had already encountered professional dancer Lauren Oakley during practice sessions, explaining: “I’ve not met anyone apart from, I believe her name’s Lauren, who was the pro that I met. Because when we had an interview for it, so it’s like an hour long interview, and then like an hour long dance session.” Lauren, who became a part of the Strictly professional team in 2022, has previously partnered with journalist Krishnan Guru-Murthy and singer JB Gill. If Clarke’s faux pas is anything to go by, she could be leading the YouTube sensation through his inaugural ballroom moves.
