BBC Strictly stars kick off rehearsals for 2025 series with two new glam pros
The Strictly Come Dancing professionals were all smiles as they rocked up for the first day of rehearsals for the new series today. Fans of the BBC dance show can't wait for primetime programme to be back on our screens and they don't have long to wait!
Ahead of its launch in September, a whole host of familiar faces were papped this morning as they made their way into the rehearsal studio - and they were joined by two new recruits.
First to be seen arriving, was much-loved star, Amy Dowden, who is back in business after being forced to leave the show early last year while recovering from a foot injury. The Welsh wonder, who also underwent chemotherapy and a mastectomy in May 2023 following her breast cancer diagnosis, looked delighted to be back with her pals as she smiled for photographers, clutching a coffee and a Holland and Barret bag.
Also flashing a smile a mile wide was last year's champion, Dianne Buswell. The Aussie, who lifted the Glitterball trophy with Chris McCausland, arrived at the dance studio sporting a tan waistcoat and matching boots with cut-off denim shorts alongside fellow pro, Kai Widdrington, who flashed the peace sign.
Next to arrive was South African star, Joahnnes Radebe, who cut a striking figure, sporting a Protect The Dolls t.shirt, a paisley neckerchief and suede ankle boots.
He was followed by Spanish champion, Gorka Marquez and Ukranian dancer, Nadiya Bychkova, who looked gorgeous in an all-cream ensemble with a Union Jack bag.
Nadiya recently admitted that she and pro, Kai, no longer speak to one another after they briefly dated, so hopefully things will go smoothly in training today.
Also seen at the studio were Vito Coppola, Lauren Oakley, Karen Hauer and Michelle Tsiakkas. They were joined by Jowita Przystal and Janette Manrara's husband, Aljaz Skorjanec.
And finally, making their debut in the Strictly gang were new recruits, Alexis Warr and Julian Caillon.
Alexis, hailing from the US, triumphed in So You Think You Can Dance in 2022, earning the title of America's Favourite Dancer and becoming the first female Ballroom and Latin dancer to win the accolade.
Meanwhile, Julian, originally from Australia, started dancing at the tender age of 10, focusing on Ballroom and Latin American styles, and has proudly represented Australia in international competitions.
Expressing his excitement about joining the show, Julian stated: "Joining the cast of Strictly really is a dream come true.
"I've watched it for years, especially cheering on all the amazing dancers I know and work with who've been part of it. I can't wait to get stuck in, have some fun, and be part of something special!"
And Alexis shared: "I've admired Strictly for years, so joining this incredible family is such an honour. I can't wait to step into the ballroom, pour my heart into every moment, and share my love of dance with the UK."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ITV News
21 minutes ago
- ITV News
First day of the National Eisteddfod brings Welsh language and arts to Wrexham
The National Eisteddfod of Wales has begun today. This year, the week-long festival is in Wrexham and aims to celebrate Welsh language and culture.
Glasgow Times
21 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
Glasgow made millions from filming of TV and movies
Shetland, the Buccaneers and US film, The Running Man, were among productions hosted in the city. The figures released in a council paper come as Glasgow's Bothwell Street is currently transformed into New York to film Spider-Man: Brand New Day. (Image: Filming for season two of The Buccaneers - an 1890s New York drama - took place in Glasgow) Explaining more about the film industry in the city, a council paper said: 'Glasgow hosted 140 productions in 2024 resulting in an estimated local expenditure of £33 million. Noted productions of scale included Shetland (S9), the second series of Apple TV's The Buccaneers, BBC's The Bombing of Pan Am 103, Sky's Lockerbie: A search for Truth and US feature film The Running Man.' It added: 'We will continue to work with our colleagues in NRS (the council's neighbourhoods, regeneration and sustainability department) to provide a free service to productions. 2025 brings three large scale studio features to the city for location filming and several UK TV series basing their production office and crewing up out of Glasgow.' Glasgow City Council has made a committment to 'ensure that the growth and success of Glasgow's film and [[TV]] industry contributes to the local economy with local business, training, and employment opportunities.' It is working on ongoing actions to to 'support film and TV production in the city' and 'promote sustainability within the screen sector in Glasgow.' The efforts form part of the council's mission to 'support the growth of an innovative, resilient and net zero carbon economy' under its 'Grand Challenge Two' policy to 'increase opportunity and prosperity for all our citizens' alongside a wide range of other work to try and improve people's lives. Details on the council's strategic plan performance relating to Grand Challenge 2 is to be presented at next week's operational performance and delivery scrutiny committee.
Daily Mail
22 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
GB News overtakes BBC for first time to become Britain's most watched TV news channel
GB News has overtaken the BBC for the first time to become Britain's number one TV news channel. New figures show that GB News beat both the Beeb and Sky News in terms of viewing figures during key slots in July. It marks the first time BBC News has been overtaken by GB News for an entire month and comes just after the start-up broadcaster celebrated its fourth birthday. The figures have come from the television industry's BARB ratings, which track total share and average views. They show that GB News pulled in an average audience of 80,600 across each day in July. This compares to BBC News which had 78,700 viewers in the same month and Sky News with 67,000. GB News also came out on top during the breakfast show and primetime weekday evenings from 6pm to 11pm, as well as during the Sunday morning political slot. The Camilla Tominey Show, which runs from 9.30am to 11am on Sundays, secured an average of 123,900 views. This was 21 per cent higher than the equivalent programme on the BCC which had an average of 102,780 viewers. Ben Briscoe, GB News' Head of Programming, commented: 'This is a seismic moment, not just for us, but for British broadcasting. 'We are ending the dominance of the BBC News Channel and Sky News. 'And there's more to come. Starting in September, GB News will expand its programming with the launch of a brand new show from Washington DC, taking our coverage to an even wider audience.' GB News was launched in 2021 and has rapidly grown into a major player in the UK media landscape. It was the first new entrant into the UK's media sector in more than three decades, and has also expanded to become a national radio network. The TV channel's success also comes as increasing numbers of Brits switch from watching live TV to streaming. Figures released by the watchdog Ofcom this week revealed that people are spending four per cent less time watching broadcast TV in 2024 than in 2023. However, GB News's surging viewing figures come amid a series of disputes the channel is locked in with Ofcom. Last year, GB News was handed a £100,000 fine for breaching impartiality rules in a programme featuring Rishi Sunak. It followed an appearance by Mr Sunak on a February 12 broadcast called People's Forum: The Prime Minister, where he was asked questions by a studio audience. An earlier investigation by Ofcom found that 'an appropriately wide range of significant viewpoints was not presented and given due weight'. Meanwhile in February, GB News won a High Court battle against Ofcom after it ruled the channel had breached impartiality rules in a programme presented by Jacob Rees-Mogg. The judge ruled that the initial decisions which were made in May and June 2023 were unlawful. Furthermore in 2023, GB News received 7,300 complaints and launched an internal investigation after former host Laurence Fox made a series of remarks about a female journalist. The actor-turned-activist apologised for a 'demeaning' sexist rant about political correspondent Ms Evans, which included him asking 'who would want to sh*g that?. Fox said he was angry with Ms Evans over comments she made on a BBC debate around male suicide and alleged she had a 'dislike of men in general', but apologised for 'demeaning her'. Addressing the situation in a video posted to X, he said: 'If I was going to be sensible and I could replay it, I would say: 'Any self-respecting man in 2023 would probably be well advised to avoid a woman who possessed that worldview because she would probably cause him nothing but harm'. 'But what I did say was, you know, 'I wouldn't shag that', and all that sort of stuff, which is not right. It's demeaning to her, to Ava, so I'm sorry for demeaning you in that way. 'However angry I am with you still for doing that, and it demeans me because it's not representative of who I am.'
