Strictly champions confirmed to return to BBC show

Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC One for its 23rd series

Strictly Come Dancing champions Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell are poised to reprise their Bafta TV award-winning waltz, You’ll Never Walk Alone, on the launch episode of the 2025 series this Saturday.

The highly anticipated broadcast will reveal the professional dancer pairings for the 15 new celebrity contestants, with Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman returning as hosts.

The episode also promises dynamic group performances from the professional dancers, the full celebrity line-up, and the judging panel, all taking to the dancefloor.

Pop star Jessie J is set to deliver an exclusive performance, marking one of her first major appearances since undergoing breast cancer surgery earlier this month.

McCausland and Buswell’s waltz previously won this year’s public-voted Bafta TV memorable moment award, while Strictly Come Dancing itself recently secured the National Television Award for most popular talent show, also decided by public vote.

It comes after Strictly’s launch trailer was released earlier this month, showing its stars performing a routine in a sunny villa.

Dianne Buswell and Chris McCausland winning Strictly Come Dancing 2024 (BBC)

The show’s latest series comes after contestant Thomas Skinner apologised for picking up a reporter’s phone and walking out of a Strictly press event, after claiming he had seen messages “about a personal story from my past” on the mobile.

Former Apprentice star Skinner later admitted to cheating on his wife just weeks after their wedding in an interview with The Sun.

Skinner will be joined in the cast of celebrity contestants by Love Island winner Dani Dyer, ER actress Alex Kingston, model and actress Ellie Goldstein, former England footballer and TV pundit Karen Carney, Olympian and Gladiator Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, and YouTuber and podcaster George Clarke.

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This year’s Strictly Come Dancing line-up (BBC)

The line-up of celebrity contestants is completed by Drag Race UK finalist La Voix, reality TV star Vicky Pattison, EastEnders star Balvinder Sopal, former footballer Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Emmerdale actor Lewis Cope, Neighbours stalwart Stefan Dennis, broadcaster Ross King and former England rugby captain Chris Robshaw.

Judges Shirley Ballas, Motsi Mabuse, Craig Revel Horwood and Anton Du Beke will return to score the couples as they compete to win the Glitterball Trophy.

Strictly Come Dancing returns on Saturday at 6.40pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.