Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Olympian to Gladiators star: First look at Strictly Come Dancing cast

Video Player Placeholder
Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell crowned Strictly Come Dancing 2024 winners
  • Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, known as Nitro from Gladiators, has been announced as the first celebrity contestant for the 2025 series of Strictly Come Dancing.
  • The Olympic sprinter and multiple European and Commonwealth champion made the announcement on BBC's Newsround on Monday.
  • Aikines-Aryeetey previously competed in the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special last year alongside professional dancer Nancy Xu.
  • The upcoming series will feature two new professional dancers, Alexis Warr and Julian Caillon, joining the returning cast, with all four judges also set to return.
  • Gorka Marquez, a popular professional dancer, will not be partnered with a celebrity for up to four weeks due to his role as a judge on the Spanish version of the show.
In full

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in