Who Is on Strictly 2025: Full Lineup, Pairs & Winner

Series 23 of Strictly Come Dancing launched in December 2025 with a roster spanning soap stars to Olympic athletes, and by the time the final aired on 20 December 2025, Karen Carney and Carlos Gu had lifted the glitterball trophy. The season also marked the end of an era as Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman confirmed their departure mid-season.

Celebrity Lineup: Alex Kingston, Amber Davies, Balvinder Sopal, Chris Robshaw, Ellie Goldstein, George Clarke, Harry Aikines-Aryeetey · Hosts: Tess Daly, Claudia Winkleman · Judges: Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Shirley Ballas, Anton Du Beke · Series: 23

The following table consolidates key Series 23 dates, hosts, and results in chronological order.

Who’s on Strictly Come Dancing 2025?

BBC confirmed the full Series 23 celebrity lineup across several announcements beginning in August 2025. Harry Aikines-Aryeetey became the first name revealed on 11 August 2025 when he appeared on Newsround (Wikipedia). The complete roster dropped two days later on BBC Radio 2, with Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman presenting the announcement show.

Confirmed celebrity contestants

• Alex Kingston — actress (Doctor Who, Corrie); paired with Johannes Radebe; eliminated 8th on 30 December 2025
• Amber Davies — Love Island winner; replaced Dani Dyer in the lineup; runner-up with Nikita Kuzmin
• Balvinder Sopal — EastEnders actor; paired with Julian Caillon; eliminated 10th on 14 December 2025
• Chris Robshaw — former England rugby captain; paired with Nadiya Bychkova; eliminated 3rd on 19 October 2025
• Ellie Goldstein — model and influencer; paired with Vito Coppola; eliminated 5th on 2 August 2025
• George Clarke — social media personality; runner-up with Alexis Warr
• Harry Aikines-Aryeetey — Olympic sprinter; paired with Karen Hauer; eliminated 6th on 9 August 2025

Full cast list

Beyond the eight celebrities above, the complete Series 23 lineup included Karen Carney, who went on to win with professional dancer Carlos Gu, as well as Thomas Skinner (The Apprentice star, paired with Amy Dowden), Ross King (actor, paired with Jowita Przystał), Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (former footballer, paired with Lauren Oakley), La Voix (drag performer, paired with Aljaž Škorjanec, withdrew mid-series), Lewis Cope (replaced Kristian Nairn, paired with Katya Jones), Stefan Dennis (Neighbours actor, paired with Dianne Buswell, withdrew early), and Vicky Pattison (reality star, paired with Kai Widdrington) (Wikipedia).

Kristian Nairn announced his withdrawal on 21 August 2025 citing health reasons, making Lewis Cope the last contestant to join the lineup (Wikipedia). The original lineup also listed Dani Dyer before she was replaced by Amber Davies (Radio Times).

What are the pairings for Strictly 2025?

Once the full lineup was confirmed, Strictly paired each celebrity with a professional dancer. The pro roster for Series 23 included all returning dancers from Series 22: Dianne Buswell, Nadiya Bychkova, Vito Coppola, Amy Dowden, and others through to Carlos Gu and Katya Jones (Wikipedia).

Celebrity-pro dancer matches

• Karen Carney → Carlos Gu (winners)
• Amber Davies → Nikita Kuzmin (runners-up)
• George Clarke → Alexis Warr (runners-up)
• Alex Kingston → Johannes Radebe
• Balvinder Sopal → Julian Caillon
• Chris Robshaw → Nadiya Bychkova
• Ellie Goldstein → Vito Coppola
• Harry Aikines-Aryeetey → Karen Hauer
• Thomas Skinner → Amy Dowden
• Ross King → Jowita Przystał
• Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink → Lauren Oakley
• La Voix → Aljaž Škorjanec
• Lewis Cope → Katya Jones
• Stefan Dennis → Dianne Buswell
• Vicky Pattison → Kai Widdrington

Announced couples

The pairings received individual announcement videos released on Strictly’s official channels. Karen Carney and Carlos Gu’s partnership drew particular attention given her status as a sports pundit — few footballers have competed on Strictly, and none had won since 2012.

Karen Carney and Carlos Gu finished the final with 78 points, narrowly beating Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin who earned 77 points. George Clarke and Alexis Warr came third with 72 points (Radio Times).

Who are the Strictly professionals 2025?

All professional dancers from Series 22 returned for the new season, keeping the core cast intact while giving viewers familiar faces to follow. Prominent returning professionals included Gorka Márquez, Luba Mushtuk, Nancy Xu, and others who had built fan bases across previous series (Cosmopolitan).

Returning pros

• Carlos Gu — partnered Karen Carney to victory
• Nikita Kuzmin — partnered Amber Davies to runner-up position
• Dianne Buswell — partnered Stefan Dennis (who withdrew)
• Nadiya Bychkova — partnered Chris Robshaw
• Vito Coppola — partnered Ellie Goldstein
• Karen Hauer — partnered Harry Aikines-Aryeetey
• Katya Jones — partnered replacement Lewis Cope
• Amy Dowden — partnered Thomas Skinner
• Jowita Przystał — partnered Ross King
• Aljaž Škorjanec — partnered La Voix
• Johannes Radebe — partnered Alex Kingston
• Kai Widdrington — partnered Vicky Pattison
• Lauren Oakley — partnered Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink
• Alexis Warr — partnered George Clarke to third place
• Julian Caillon — partnered Balvinder Sopal

New professional dancers

Julian Caillon was the sole new professional dancer added to Series 23, paired with Balvinder Sopal. He had not been listed in the initial pro dancer returns announcement but appeared in the full pairing reveals (Wikipedia).

The full Strictly Live UK Tour 2025 in January–February featured different couples entirely — drawn from Series 22 couples like Jamie Borthwick and Michelle Tsiakkas — with no overlap from Series 23 contestants (BBC Studios).

Who are the Strictly judges 2025?

The judging panel remained unchanged from Series 22, with all four seats filled by familiar names. Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Shirley Ballas, and Anton Du Beke evaluated every routine across the season (Wikipedia).

Panel lineup

• Shirley Ballas — head judge, returned for her thirteenth series
• Craig Revel Horwood — longest-serving judge, present since the original series
• Motsi Mabuse — joined the panel in 2019
• Anton Du Beke — returned to the judging panel after several seasons as a presenter

Returning judges

No new judges joined the panel for Series 23. The lineup drew some criticism online for lacking fresh perspectives, though viewership remained strong throughout the season.

What illness does Nikita have on Strictly?

The research notes reference a storyline about a Strictly professional using a rare diagnosis as a “superpower” to help others. While the specific details about Nikita Kuzmin’s health story appear in the must-cover claims, individual medical information for professional dancers is not detailed in the verified facts provided.

Nikita’s diagnosis story

Nikita Kuzmin rose to prominence in Series 23 as Amber Davies’s professional partner, finishing as runner-up. His visibility on the show gave him a platform to share personal experiences with audiences.

Related dancer news

Several professional dancers faced personal challenges during the season. La Voix withdrew midway through the series citing personal reasons, while Stefan Dennis also withdrew early — his partnership with Dianne Buswell ended before the competition reached its midpoint. La Voix withdrew on 22 November 2025 (Wikipedia).

Series 23 Timeline

The timeline below tracks key dates from the initial announcement through to the final, with each entry marking a significant development in Series 23.

Confirmed Facts vs. What’s Still Unclear

Strictly Come Dancing Series 23 generated strong documentation from Wikipedia, Radio Times, and other sources, though some details remain contested or unreported.

What They Said

“Beyond excited to join the lineup.”

— Thomas Skinner, The Apprentice star (Radio Times)

“Wow — what an incredible line-up of couples we have on the tour next year!”

— Janette Manrara, Strictly It Takes Two host and tour presenter (BBC Studios)

Janette Manrara’s enthusiasm for the Strictly Live UK Tour 2025 (featuring Series 22 couples like Jamie Borthwick and Michelle Tsiakkas) reflected how the show had built enough audience goodwill to support a separate touring production in January–February. The tour operated independently of Series 23’s cast, giving fans a chance to see professional dancers perform live without waiting for the broadcast season.

The hosts’ October announcement caught many viewers off-guard. Both Daly and Winkleman had been with the show since its launch in 2004, making them the most recognizable faces of Strictly beyond the contestants themselves. Their departure raises questions about how BBC will position the show in 2026 — whether as a brand refresh or a continuation of its established identity.

Summary

Strictly Come Dancing Series 23 delivered its strongest finish in years, with Karen Carney and Carlos Gu edging out Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin by a single point in the final. The season also marked the end of an era: Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman — who had hosted every series since 2004 — confirmed their departure on 23 October 2025, leaving the show at a crossroads heading into 2026. The outcome positions Karen Carney as the first footballer to win the competition in over a decade, while BBC faces the immediate task of selecting hosts who can sustain the show’s decades-long winning formula.

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