By Hayley Anderson

Copyright walesonline

WARNING: This article contains spoilers from Strictly Come Dancing. The curtain has been raised on Strictly Come Dancing 2025 , and fans now have the full line-up of celebrities who will be lighting up their screens this year. BBC enthusiasts have been eagerly awaiting the return of Strictly since comedian Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell clinched the Glitter Ball Trophy last year. Now, a fresh batch of 15 celebrities are set to dazzle not only the viewers at home but also the discerning judges Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke and head judge Shirley Ballas. This evening, Saturday, September 20, saw the famous contestants paired with their professional partners who will guide them through the competition and teach them the steps each week. Here’s a full list of the Strictly Come Dancing 2025 celebrities and their professional partners. Jimmy is a former professional footballer and manager, best known for his “prolific goal scoring career”. On joining the Strictly family, Jimmy expressed: “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.” He has been partnered with Birmingham-born dancer Lauren Oakley, who has been part of the show since 2022. Ellie, a model, actress and influencer, made history two years ago as the first woman with Down syndrome to grace the cover of British Vogue. Earlier this year, she joined the cast of BBC’s Malory Towers, playing the role of Nancy Mahe. Ellie expressed her excitement, saying: “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.” She will be partnered with Italian dancer Vito Coppola, who clinched the Strictly title in 2023 alongside Coronation Street actress Ellie Leach. Balvinder Sopal, known for her work in theatre, radio, film and television, is best recognised by soap fans as EastEnders’ Suki Kaur Panesar – now Unwin – since 2019. She will be dancing with Australian newcomer Julian Caillon, who has previously showcased his skills on America’s Dancing With The Stars. Balvinder shared her enthusiasm, stating: “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, also known as George Clarkey, a YouTuber, podcaster and social media influencer, has been paired with fellow newcomer Alexis Warr, the winner of So You Think You Can Dance three years ago. George humorously announced: “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.” Former England rugby union player and captain Chris Robshaw admits he’s stepping outside his “comfort zone” with Strictly and is eager to elevate his “dad dancing to a whole new level”. He continued: “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.” Chris will be paired with Ukrainian professional Nadiya Bychkova, who has been part of Strictly since 2017. Alex Kingston will be recognised for her portrayal of River Song in the 2006 series of the fantasy sci-fi drama. Some of her other most memorable performances include Douglas Is Cancelled, A Discovery of Witches, The Widow and her role as Elizabeth Corday in the legendary medical drama ER. She will be dancing with Strictly favourite South African performer Johannes Radebe, who currently has both a biographical film about his life journey and his memoir JoJo: Finally Home in development. Love Island champion and daughter of actor Danny Dyer, Dani Dyer is preparing to glide around the ballroom with professional dancer Nikita Kuzmin. She revealed: “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.” Ukrainian dancer Nikita took time away from Strictly last year to appear in Celebrity Big Brother and was declared the runner-up. Stefan Dennis, best known for his role as Paul Robinson in Neighbours, sees this as an “opportunity” to step outside his comfort zone. He said: “Looking forward to the sparkle and reaching for the sky.” Stefan is paired with last year’s champion Dianne Buswell, who recently announced her pregnancy with former contestant and partner Joe Sugg. Vicky Pattison, who first gained fame on Geordie Shore, has since become a household name. Not only did she triumph in season 15 of I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here, but she is now a presenter, author, podcaster and radio host. She will be dancing with Kai Widdrington, who has previously been partnered with presenters AJ Odudu, Kaye Adams and broadcaster Angela Rippon. Vicky expressed that she was “absolutely buzzing” to join the Strictly world, but also admitted to being “terrified”. Two years ago, Harry Atkines-Aryeetey was announced as joining the cast of the Gladiators reboot as Nitro. Before joining the BBC show, Harry was an Olympian, having won multiple gold medals for Team GB as a sprinter. He is partnered with Venezuelan dancer Karen Hauer, a veteran of the Strictly family for 13 years. Ross King, a familiar face on morning television, regularly appears on ITV’s Good Morning Britain and Lorraine as their Los Angeles correspondent. He stated: “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!'” Ross has been paired with Polish professional Jowita Przystal, who recently confirmed her romance with former Towie personality Pete Wicks following their partnership last series. Karen is a former footballer who represented Arsenal, Birmingham City, England and Chelsea during her playing career. She now works as the premier female football analyst for both men’s and women’s matches on TNT and ITV . She commented: “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!” Karen will embark on her Strictly adventure alongside Chinese professional Carlos Gu, who has been part of the programme for three series. Actor Lewis Cope became part of ITV’s Emmerdale cast in 2022 playing Nicky Miligan, though his performing roots trace back to childhood when he appeared in the West End’s Billy Elliot the Musical. He’ll be partnered with seasoned professional Katya Jones, who memorably delivered the Gangnam Style performance with former politician Ed Balls. Thomas gained recognition through his appearance on business reality programme The Apprentice in 2019, though his journey ended in the ninth week. He has since appeared on a variety of programmes including 8 Out of 10 Cats, Michael McIntyre’s Big Show and Celebrity Masterchef, often sharing motivational videos. Thomas will be partnered with Welsh dancer Amy Dowden, who had to withdraw from the competition prematurely last year due to a stress fracture in her foot. She was also unable to participate the previous year as she was diagnosed with grade three breast cancer, but thankfully, she is now in remission. La Voix, a drag performer, presenter and singer who competed in the 2024 series of BBC’s RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, will be dancing with Slovenian dancer Aljaz Skorjanec. Aljaz joined the show in 2013 and is married to former fellow Strictly star Janette Manrara, who is also one of the hosts of the spin-off show It Takes Two. Strictly Come Dancing continues every Saturday on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.