Three more Strictly Come Dancing contestants announced on The One Show
By Joe Hadden, PA
Dani Dyer, Alex Kingston and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink have been revealed as the latest contestants for the upcoming series of Strictly Come Dancing.
The trio were announced as the latest recruits for the upcoming season live on BBC One’s The One Show on Monday.
Speaking from the studio after her reveal, former Love Island winner Dyer said: “It’s such a fun magical show – to be asked to do it is such an honour.
“I just can’t wait to be able to wear (the costumes) – it’s going to be so much fun.”
Actress Kingston, who interrupted her holiday in Italy to speak to hosts Alex Scott and Roman Kemp, joked: “I was super excited but now I’m terrified.”
She was best known for her role as Dr Elizabeth Corday in US medical drama ER but also appeared in Doctor Who.
Before ER she won over British fans for her performance in ITV miniseries The Fortunes And Misfortunes Of Moll Flanders, which earned her a Bafta nomination for best actress.
Former Chelsea footballer Hasselbaink said: “I’m a father of only girls and Strictly is a part of our home life – I like the show.
“Let’s have a go.”
He added: “It’s totally out of my comfort zone.
“Playing football in front of 60,000 or 70,000 people is easy but dancing with a partner who knows it 10 times, 100 times, better than you is crazy.”
Hasselbaink also teased the idea that he might be bringing a few of his former footballing friends along to watch live.
“I’m in contact with Robbie (Fowler), with Carlo Cudicini, so who knows,” he said.
They join Olympic sprinter and Gladiators star Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, who was the first contestant confirmed for the 2025 line-up earlier in the day.
Aikines-Aryeetey, known as Nitro on the rebooted Gladiators, previously competed in last year’s Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special and described his decision to return as “so nice I just had to do it twice”.
In July, the BBC announced that two “incredible” new professional dancers, US-born Alexis Warr and Australian dancer Julian Caillon, would be joining the show, which starts this autumn.
Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman are back to present with Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke and Shirley Ballas returning as judges.
Strictly will return to BBC One and BBC iPlayer for its new series this September.