Strictly viewers bewildered as unexpected Harry Potter star shows up to support Nigel Harman

‘He’s a wonderful part of my life,’ Harman said of actor

Strictly Come Dancing fans were left surprised by an unexpected cameo from a Harry Potter actor.

The BBC dancing competition entered its fifth week on Saturday (21 October), with celebrities, including Annabel Croft, Nigel Harman and Bobby Brazier taking to the dancefloor.

It was while former EastEnders star and theatre actor Harman was performing alongside his dance partner Katya Jones that the cameras cut to a recognisable face in the audience.

Viewers immediately noticed it was 81-year-old David Bradley, the actor who played the cantankerous caretaker Argus Filch in the Harry Potter franchise. Other viewers remembered him as the murderous Walder Frey from Game of Thrones.

Most people watching at home had the same question – why was he in the audience?

“What’s Argus Filch doing in the audience?” one viewer asked, with another adding: “Am I still groggy after my afternoon nap or did I just see Filch from Harry Potter in the audience?”

An additional fan stated: “Seeing Argus Filch in the audience at Strictly has made me smile the most I’ve smiled in a week It’s the simple things.”

After co-host Claudia Winkleman told the viewers that Bradley was in the audience, Harman called him “a wonderful part of my life”.

It turns out the pair are long-time friends who starred together in a production of The Caretaker in 2008., In 2022, they hit the road together while participating on Celebrity Antiques Road Trip.

David Bradley in ‘Strictly’ audience (BBC)

Bradley is a fan of Strictly, and has attended recordings of the show in the past. His other credits include Hot Fuzz, The World’s End, Doctor Who and new Chicken Run film Dawn of the Nugget.

Find out which celebrity was eliminated from Sunday night’s results show (22 October) here.