Harry Aikines-Aryeetey Unveiled as First Contestant

   Harry Aikines-Aryeetey revealed as the first Strictly 2025 contestant on CBBC Newsround

Strictly Come Dancing has unveiled Olympic sprinter and Gladiators personality Harry Aikines-Aryeetey as the first celebrity for its 2025 series.

The news was announced on an 11 August CBBC Newsround program, when Harry appeared anonymously as a fictional choreographer, "Nicky Trott." His playful disguise was not on for long, as presenter Jenny Lawrence unveiled him before he confirmed his place on the BBC program.

Sporting Achievements and TV Career

             Harry Aikines-Aryeetey competing during his athletics career

Aikines-Aryeetey is a former Team GB European Championships multi-gold medal-winning sprinter at the Commonwealth Games. He is the only track personality who has won the titles of the 100m and 200m world youth championships.

Outside of athletics, he joined the BBC's Gladiators in 2023 as "Nitro" and last year's Strictly Christmas Special with professional partner Nancy Xu.

                 Harry Aikines-Aryeetey as “Nitro” on the BBC’s Gladiators

Public Reaction and Excitement for 2025 Series                   

After the unveil, fans rushed to social media to show that they were excited about the participation of Aikines-Aryeetey. His charisma on Gladiators and high-intensity style of performance were praised by many, making him possibly a serious contender on the dance floor. BBC producers have characterized him as a natural-born entertainer who adds competition and humour to the series.

Future Trials on the Ballroom floor

His sporting background provides him with endurance as well as discipline; however, Aikines-Aryeetey has cited that ballroom and Latin dancing will provide a new challenge. According to him, he feels he should learn, and he is also excited to take on the glitz, costumes, and live performances. In the television launch show later this year, his partnership with a professional dancer will be disclosed.

Strictly Come Dancing 2025

In the 2025 season of Strictly Come Dancing, celebrities from the sporting, entertainment, and media scenes will face each other in a weekly live performance program, and the determined winner will be voted for by the audience and the judges. This show is still among the most popular ones at the BBC as it contains a combination of spectacular performances, jokes, and intense rivalry.

Dani Dyer Joins the Line-Up

             Dani Dyer confirmed for Strictly Come Dancing 2025 live on The One Show

Former Love Island winner Dani Dyer was announced as the second celebrity to participate this year. Her participation was officially announced live on The One Show.

Dyer rose to fame in 2018 after winning the fourth season of Love Island and has since appeared alongside her actor dad, Danny Dyer, on Celebrity Gogglebox. She also hosts television shows and is a Sunday Times bestselling author.

Alex Kingston to Trade Drama for Dance

There is also actress Alex Kingston, who will be stepping onto the Strictly dance floor. Kingston gained most of her fame as River Song in Doctor Who, is an ER cast member as Dr. Elizabeth Corday, and has decades of experience in acting under her belt.

Her involvement also brings another household-name star into the line-up, since the BBC show remains capable of recruiting stars in every region of the entertainment sector.

Balvinder Sopal named the latest trainee

The latest to join the 2025 series is Balvinder Sopal, star of EastEnders. ITV broadcast live an announcement in Albert Square as part of Good Morning Britain.

Since 2020, Sopal has played Suki Panesar-Unwin in the long-running BBC soap, where she became known in association with some of its greatest stories. She said having been chosen on Strictly is her dream, and she looks forward to demonstrating her talent on the dance floor towards the end of the year.

Industry View on Entertainment

Television industry analysts comment that programs such as Strictly Come Dancing do well with a mix of talent, character, and viewer participation. The advantages of featuring a variety of celebrities that take part in various fields, such as sports, entertainment, and media, are underlined by producers so that the competition could remain lively and interesting to the mass audience.

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Final Thoughts

The official cast of Strictly Come Dancing 2025 now awaits Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, Dani Dyer, Alex Kingston, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, and Balvinder Sopal. More celebrity participants are likely to be announced in the days that follow, with the full line-up emerging.

The new series will first appear on BBC iPlayer and then be on BBC One starting in September till the end of December. Each week, a live performance is shown with the contestants paired with professional dancers who are trained intensively beforehand.

The contest will end with the final, with one pair getting to lift the Glitterball Trophy, as Strictly has always been strong on high-energy entertainment and the pressure of live performance.