Every year I make the argument that it doesn’t really matter who is on the Strictly Come Dancing line-up. That whether you know who they are is irrelevant, that it only matters what happens on the dance floor. But this year’s cohort is testing even my faith in the programme. Is this the least exciting Strictly line up ever?
Among them are EastEnders actor Balvinder Sopal, former football Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, reality star Vicky Pattison, sports journalist Karen Carney and actor Kristian Nairn, best known for playing Hodor in Game of Thrones. I think I speak for everyone when I say none of these names set my world alight. But it gets worse – inviting Good Morning Britain’s LA correspondent Ross King onto the dance floor is the definition of “scraping the barrel”.
There is a saving grace in the form of 23-year-old model, actor and influencer Ellie Goldstein, who in 2023 made history as the first model with Down syndrome to appear on the cover of British Vogue. Strictly has been a pioneer when it comes to casting disabled celebs and – following on from blind comedian Chris McCausland’s win last year – it’s wonderful to see them carry on the tradition.
However, the announcement of Ellie’s addition to the line-up has been overshadowed by the fact that former The Apprentice candidate, Donald Trump fan and right-wing mouthpiece Thomas Skinner is among this year’s cohort. I have to join the chorus of voices disappointed in Strictly for casting such a controversial figure. Yes, he might get people watching, but you only have to look at the sort of grim messages he receives from his followers on X to know that his brand is incongruent with Strictly’s overarching message of joy and inclusion.
But Strictly has never been about just the dancing, and there are myriad reasons why a celeb might sweep – or fall flat – on the Strictly dance floor. So, who will come out on top? Who will find themselves in the dance off week in, week out? Here are my predictions for this year’s celebs:
Chris Robshaw
Chris has had quite a career on the rugby field: he’s captained the England team 43 times and in 2016 won the Six Nations Grand Slam. But whether that success will translate to the Strictly dance floor remains to be seen. Chris has said that the show is “as far out of my comfort zone as it gets”, which doesn’t fill me with confidence, and his four-year-old son Wilding doesn’t have much faith, either; he convinced his dad to take part because he wanted “mummy to laugh at your dancing”.
Alex Kingston
Actor Alex Kingston has the right attitude towards dancing on live tv – her official BBC statement simply reads “Aaaaagghhh!” I’ve been a fan of her since she starred as time traveler River Song in the last 2000s golden era of Doctor Who, and she’s one of the very few celebrities I’m looking forward to watching. She’s also this year’s oldest woman at 62, and if past contestants Angela Rippon and Debbie McGee are anything to go by, that’s certainly no reason to write her off. I have high hopes.
Balvinder Sopal
I haven’t watched EastEnders since Bradley Branning fell off the Queen Vic roof in 2010, so Balvinder – who plays Suki Panesar in the soap – is a bit of a stranger to me. But having a soap star grace the dance floor is a long-held Strictly tradition, and she follows in the footsteps of greats Kara Tointon (who won her 2010 series), Danny Mac (who came second in 2016) and Georgia May Foote (runner-up in 2015). Who knows whether Balvinder can move, but she’ll certainly have all of Walford behind her.
La Voix
Drag Race UK star Tayce won last year’s Christmas special with pro dancer Kai Widdrington, and judge Craig Revel Horwood frequently appears as his alter ego Lavish, but La Voix is the first drag queen to compete in the main series. She’s no wallflower, as anyone who remembers her from Drag Race UK or Britain’s Got Talent will know, but will her confidence translate to her dancing feet? La Voix is a fantastic entertainer, and I have a feeling the public are about to fall head over sequined heels for her.
Stefan Dennis
While most of us know Stefan as Jason Donovan’s on-screen brother Paul Robinson in Neighbours, the actor has quite the musical history. He’s starred in Blood Brothers on the West End, is a talented pipe organist, and in 1989 his pop single “Don’t It Make You Feel Good?” reached number 16 in the UK charts. In other words, he’s got rhythm – very helpful when you’ve got to cha-cha your way through a live television broadcast. Older men don’t tend to do well on Strictly, but I have a feeling Stefan – who is 66 – will buck that trend.
Karen Carney
It was only a matter of time before a Lioness made it onto the Strictly dance floor. Karen is now a pundit, but in her footballing prime played for the England women’s team as a midfielder from 2005 to 2019 and, as of 2021, is included in the English Football Hall of Fame. We can surely expect an American Smooth to “Sweet Caroline” (as if that’s not been done before). All jokes aside, the rumour is that Karen will be paired with a female professional – the first since Jayde Adams danced with Karen Hauer in 2022. About time.
Kristian Nairn
The main thing to know about Kristian Nairn is that he’s a giant, standing at 6ft 10. That leads to questions of who he will be paired with – surely all the female professional dancers are far too short to dance with him? Could he be paired with 6ft Johannes? Hodor was a cult favourite character so Kristian has legions of fans from Game of Thrones, but I don’t think that will be enough to carry him through the competition. Unless of course, his dancing happens to be as impressive as Hodor’s strength…
Thomas Skinner
Perhaps Thomas Skinner is the perfect casting for Strictly. He loves Britain and it’s one of the biggest shows in the country. The panic, however, is that Thomas will have enough time on Strictly to gain popularity and spread his populist views to millions of viewers. But I don’t think we have anything to worry about: his Essex geezer schtick doesn’t exactly scream “good dancer”. Plus, if the carb-heavy, greasy meals he posts on social media are anything to go by, he’s not exactly changed his diet in preparation for the competition. By Halloween, we won’t even remember he was there.
Dani Dyer
Not the Danny Dyer we want, but the Dani Dyer Strictly deserves. The Love Island winner (and daughter of the aforementioned Danny) has sparked a “fix” row after it emerged that she had once described herself as a “qualified dancer” and had dance lessons while at theatre school. But this argument rears its head every year and never really has any bearing on the competition. After all, if Dani was a good enough dancer, she would have pursued it as a career. Having said that, she will definitely go far, and – fallout aside – her casting is worth it just to see her dad in the front row of Blackpool’s ballroom.
George Clarke
No, not Channel 4’s resident architectural expert George Clarke – this is YouTuber, podcaster and TikTok star George Clark. At just 25, George has youth on his side and with that comes the energy and joie de vivre that Strictly needs this year. In his official statement, he jokes that he will “potentially fall over a fair bit”, but I think “Georgey” – as he’s known online – will be a bit of a dark horse in this competition. He’s a relatively unknown celeb, so Strictly could be the making of him, which means he’s likely to give it his all. Keep your eyes on this one
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink
Footballers, sadly, don’t have the best track record on the Strictly dance floor – Tony Adams and David James come to mind as some of the worst contestants of all time. But there’s always exceptions to the rule: in 2007, John Barnes was the first male celeb to get perfect 10s from the judges (though he did only come seventh). The jury is out on where Jimmy will come in the pantheon of Strictly sporting stars, but I wouldn’t bet on him making it to the halfway point – if only because his fellow dancers are more famous (if only marginally).
Harry Aikines-Aryeetey
Regular viewers of the BBC’s Gladiators will know that Harry – otherwise known as Nitro – has got some moves. In fact, he showed off just how good he is at dancing in last year’s Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special, dressed as an elf and dancing Street Commercial to “Christmas Wrapping” alongside Nancy Xu. Harry, who is also a former Team GB sprinter, has what it takes to go all the way to the final – and even win. But his Gladiators co-star Montell Douglas didn’t have the easiest ride when she competed in last year’s show, often undeservingly ending up in the dance off more than once. Let’s hope Harry has an easier time with the voting public.
Vicky Pattison
The Geordie Shore alumnus turned TV presenter posted a picture of her cut and blistered feet at the end of the first day of rehearsals, calling the day a “baptism of fire” and saying she felt like she had been “hit by a car”. Whether this is a good or a bad start to Vicky’s Strictly “journey” is unclear, but I’ve always had her down as a grafter so I wouldn’t be surprised if her battered feet dance her far into the competition. She has told the BBC that she’s “not a natural dancer”, but I’m not so sure – I remember watching her busting some moves in the clubs of Newcastle back in her Geordie Shore days.
Ross King
The Scottish presenter will be the first to leave the competition, only because no one has a clue who he is. It might not be right, but it’s certainly OK. Strictly is supposed to be a cut above the other celebrity competition series like Celebrity SAS and I’m a Celeb, but it’s hard to imagine that even those shows would want to cast, er, the bloke who calls himself the “King of Hollywood”. Whether he’s good at dancing or not is irrelevant – he doesn’t have the support or goodwill needed to make it past the first voting round.
Ellie Goldstein
I wouldn’t be surprised if Ellie Goldstein won this year. After all, last year’s winner Chris McCausland wasn’t the best dancer on the show, but his determination and evident improvement won over the public. We will have to wait and see if Ellie, who has starred in campaigns for Adidas and Gucci Beauty, has dance skills, but her bubbly, chatterbox personality alone is certainly reason enough to keep her in the competition. Judging by her recent interview with the BBC following the announcement of her involvement, she certainly doesn’t hold back, revealing that she wants to be paired with Nikita Kuzmin because she “loves him so much.” Let’s hope she gets her wish.
‘Strictly Come Dancing’ starts on 27 September on BBC One
