It’s Strictly season, and by now, all the stars have been through dozens of hours of intense training and performing, and know their respective pro dancers pretty well.
The reality competition series returned to our screens on 14 September, with a launch show in which the celebrity contestants learnt which professional dancers they would be coupled up with.
Meet your Strictly Come Dancing couples below…
Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell
Comedian and actor Chris McCausland, 47, is making history as the show’s first ever blind contestant.
The star, who’s appeared on panel shows including Have I Got News for You and Would I Lie to You?, is paired with Dianne Buswell, who’s been with Strictly since 2017.
Buswell, 35, reached the final in 2018 with Joe Sugg (who she has been in a relationship with ever since), and then again in 2023 with Bobby Brazier.
JB Gill and Amy Dowden
The 37-year-old first rose to fame for being in boyband, JLS. Outside of music, he’s made a successful career in TV presenting.
He was paired with fan favourite Amy Dowden, the pro dancer who returned to the show this year after treatment for breast cancer. But due to a foot injury, she has had to pull out of the rest of the series, with fellow pro Lauren Oakley stepping into her shoes.
Jamie Borthwick and Michelle Tsiakkas
EastEnders actor Jamie Borthwick, 30, has already won a Strictly Christmas Special.
He’s dancing with Michelle Tsiakkas, 28, who joined the show in 2022. She has been dancing since she was six in her home country of Cyprus.
Montell Douglas and Johannes Radebe
You may recognise Olympian multi-sport athlete Montell Douglas as Fire from the 2024 Gladiators reboot.
She’s paired with Johannes Radebe. He’s been with the show since 2021, and has since been coupled up with celebrities including chef John Waite and tennis player Annabel Croft, the latter of whom credits him with helping her process grief after the death of her husband.
Although he hasn’t lifted the Glitterball trophy yet, this could be the year it happens.
Nick Knowles and Luba Mushtuk - ELIMINATED
DIY SOS star Nick Knowles is best known for starring on the popular home improvement show. He was paired with Luba Mushtuk, 34, who’s been with Strictly since 2018. She won the Christmas special that same year with Shane Lynch.
After a bumpy start on Strictly due to injuries, he ended up being the third contestant eliminated. He said: “I’ve really, really been surprised by how much I’ve loved doing it and by two things that happen. One is how much you care each week, and the other is how much you don’t want to let down your partner.”
Paul Merson and Karen Hauer - ELIMINATED
Ex-footballer and Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson was partnered with Karen Hauer, the show’s longest serving female professional. She started on Strictly in 2012 with Westlife singer Nick Byrne. Over the years, she’s got closer to lifting the trophy, reaching the final of the competition with Jamie Laing in 2020.
He was the fourth star eliminated from this season of Strictly, but he gifted us all with some pretty entertaining moments before he went, including his unhinged dance to the football anthem “Vindaloo”.
After his elimination, Merson joked he had actually “won” Strictly, saying: “Because I can dance, I couldn’t dance before and I can half dance now so it’s a bonus.”
Pete Wicks and Jowitza Przystal
The Only Way is Essex star Pete Wicks is dancing with Jowita Przystał. Wicks rose to fame for his blunt and irreverent persona on the reality show.
Przystal joined Strictly in 2021, rapidly making a name for herself by winning the Glitterball trophy with her first ever celebrity dance partner, Hamza Yassin in 2022. Last year, she danced with Paralympian Jody Cundy.
Punam Krishan and Gorka Márquez - ELIMINATED
TV doctor Punam Krishanswapped the doctor’s surgery for the dancefloor this autumn. She was dancing with Gorka Márquez, who joined in 2016 and has reached the final twice: once with singer Alexandra Burke, and another time with presenter Helen Skelton.
On Halloween week, she became the fifth contestant of the series to be eliminated. She said: “I am really proud of myself. You know I’ve taken on something that’s so out of my comfort zone. The one thing that I’ve very much learnt is to say yes more, and that there is no point in your life when you can stop learning new skills.
“I’ve learnt more than dancing, I’ve learnt so much from Gorka. Everyone’s been so incredible and it’s just memories that I’ll take home forever and I am very proud. I’ve made my family very proud, I’m just really grateful.”
Tasha Ghouri and Aljaž Škorjanec
Former Love Islander Ghouri is a trained dancer, who has ruffled feathers as some fans believe she may have an unfair advantage over her peers.
She is partnered with Aljaž Škorjanec – but his return was claimed to have caused unease due to an alleged past altercation with another professional who dances on the show.
Škorjanec won the show with Abby Clancy the same year he debuted in 2013. In 2017, he made it to the final with Hollyoaks star Gemma Atkinson.
Tom Dean MBE and Nadiya Bychkova - ELIMINATED
Olympic gold medallist Tom Dean was partnered with Nadiya Bychkova.
Bychkova joined the show in 2017 and has been in a relationship with fellow professional and fan-favourite Kai Widdrington. She’s been partnered with Blue singer Lee Ryan and singer-songwriter Matthew Goss in the past.
Toyah Willcox and Neil Jones - ELIMINATED
Punk-rock legend Toyah Willcox is best known for her hit singles, but she’s also had a career in acting and dancing.
The 66-year-old was partnered with Neil Jones, who has been part of the Strictly family since 2016. However, he had to wait until 2019 to be paired with a celebrity. He’s danced with Alex Scott and Nina Wadia, but hasn’t yet made it past the quarter-finals.
Sam Quek MBE and Nikita Kuzmin - ELIMINATED
Olympic gold medal-winning hockey champion Sam Quek was dancing with Celebrity Big Brother finalist Nikita Kuzmin.
The 25-year-old joined the show’s lineup in 2021, partnering with Tilly Ramsay in his debut and then Ellie Symonds in 2022. In 2023, he partnered with actor and singer Layton Williams, and they reached the final before losing out to Coronation Street star Ellie Leach.
Quek was the sixth celebrity eliminated, which left viewers heartbroken because she’d only recently really got into her stride with a fantastic performance in Halloween Week. After she was booted off, she said: “I’m gutted, I just want to say thank you. I’ve learned so much. Strictly has just brought that spring in my step back. It’s just been an absolute joy. Nikita, you’ve been key in helping me find that inner Sam that was there, who went a little bit quiet for maybe one or two years and has just come back. I’m gutted because I do feel like I still have more to give.”
Sarah Hadland and Vito Coppola
Comedian Sarah Hadland, known for her roles in Horrible Histories and Miranda, is dancing with Vito Coppola. The 53-year-old already has a little dancing experience like her fellow contestant Tasha Ghouri, having danced ballet since she was three.
After joining the show in 2022, Coppola had a rapid rise to success, winning the competition the year afterwards with his partner Ellie Leach.
Shayne Ward and Nancy Xu - ELIMINATED
Singer and actor Shayne Ward was dancing with Nancy Xu. The 39-year-old first shot to fame after winning the second season of the X Factor in 2005.
In 2021, Xu performed with her first ever celebrity dance partner and CBBC presenter Rhys Stephenson, making it all the way to a tense semi-final.
Ward was the seventh star to be eliminated from this year’s show, with fans complaining that the judges’ decision was “very unfair”.
Wynne Evans and Katya Jones - ELIMINATED
You may not recognise Evans immediately but he’s most well-known for being the opera talent behind GoCompare adverts since 2009.
He’s partnered with Katya Jones, who’s been with the show since 2016. She won the show in 2017, with her partner Joe McFadden. In 2018, she was embroiled in a scandal over kissing her celeb partner Seann Walsh. There was almost another scandal this season, when a video of Jones removing Evans’s wandering hand from her waist went viral.
Evans was the eighth star eliminated from the series.
