By Meghna Amin
Copyright walesonline
TV personality Ross King is gearing up to strut his stuff on the dance floor as he joins the line-up for Strictly Come Dancing 2025 . The regular guest on Lorraine was one of the last names to be confirmed , and will soon be gracing our screens alongside 14 other celebrities and the professional dancers when the much-loved BBC competition returns this Saturday. He’ll be joining Gladiators legend Harry Aikines-Aryeetey (better known to fans as Nitro), Hollywood actress Alex Kingston, Love Island champion Dani Dyer, footballer Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, EastEnders star Balvinder Sopal, and Youtube sensation George Clarke. Also in the mix are RuPaul’s Drag Race UK performer La Voix, rugby union player Chris Robshaw and model Ellie Goldstein, as well as controversial Apprentice star Thomas Skinner, presenter Vicky Pattison, and Neighbours’ Stefan Dennis. Rounding off the list are former footballer Karen Carney and Emmerdale actor Lewis Cope, with the latter stepping in for Game of Thrones’ Kristian Nairn who had to pull out due to health issues, reports Glasgow Live . In the announcement, Ross expressed his enthusiasm, stating: “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!'” Here’s everything you need to know about Ross as he gets ready to take to the Strictly dance floor. The Scottish-born presenter is 63 years old. During a recent chat with BBC Scotland, he revealed that Glasgow remains “home” to him and expressed his desire to weave Scottish dancing into his performances. “I genuinely want a bit of The Slosh put in for Scotland,” he said. “And some form of a ceilidh which apparently they’ve never done. “I’ve always been very patriotic and I love Scotland. To represent my country is just a thrilling thing.” Ross is widely recognised as the Los Angeles Correspondent for ITV’s Good Morning Britain and Lorraine, having previously fulfilled the same position on GMTV and Daybreak. He boasts four News Emmy wins and has fronted over 30 television programmes since making his radio debut at 15 and appearing on TV at 17. Ross has been a World Judge on CBS’ The World’s Best, and hosted the likes of The Hollywood Christmas Parade and The Critics Choice Movie Awards Red Carpet. He was also the Entertainment Anchor on Los Angeles’ KTLA for six years. As well as presenting work, Ross has written three novels and for TV comedy shows, stage plays and films. He was awarded an MBE in 2018 for services to broadcasting, the arts and charity. Ross tends to keep his private life away from the spotlight, having been married twice. He wed his second wife Brianna Deutsch in 2015 in a ceremony where guests reportedly included Gerard Butler, Patsy Palmer, Vinnie Jones and Gary Barlow. However, in 2022, a source claimed they’d split, saying: “The pair have remained amicable and still run in the same circles, they just realised they weren’t on the same page romantically any more. “Ross loves living in Hollywood and has been throwing himself into work and writing novels.” Discussing his marriage previously, Ross had said: “She’s beautiful and I know I’m punching well, well above my weight. “The age difference has never been an issue. I want to have kids too. I’m not worried about being an older dad. I’m a big family man. “I still get homesick for my mum and sister in Scotland and come back as often as possible. “But I get up every day and from my house in the hills I look out across the Hollywood sign. It always makes me smile. “I’m a kid from Knightswood in Glasgow. It still feels like a fairy tale.” Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC One and iPlayer this Saturday at 6.40pm.
