Cliff Notes – Latest star tipped for Strictly Come Dancing after impressing bosses with TV presenting
- Ashley Cain, known for his reality tv background, is rumoured to join the upcoming season of Strictly Come Dancing after catching the attention of producers with his presenting skills.
- Cain has expressed a personal connection to the show, wishing to honour his late daughter through dance, and has previously raised significant funds for charity in her memory.
Latest star tipped for Strictly Come Dancing after ‘impressing bosses’ with TV presenting
Following the success of Strictly Come Dancing 2024, in which Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell lifted the Glitter Ball trophy, rumours are already swirling around who will be next to take part.
It remains to be seen who will take to the dancefloor when the BBC show returns later this year.
However, our lineup of professional dancers has been confirmed, with all last year’s favourites returning, plus the addition of two new pros to come.
But who will they be teaching how to tango?
Among the current rumoured lineup is Ashley Cain, who reportedly ‘impressed’ show bosses with his presenting skills.
Ashley Cain
Ex On The Beach star Ashley Cain could appear on Strictly after catching the eye of BBC bosses.
The reality TV star, 34, reportedly made a list of stars producers would like to appear on the next season of the show.
‘He’s a proper character with a very interesting background that looks the part,’ a source told The Mirror.
‘He would be a great addition to the Strictly lineup. He’s presented a couple of shows and has really impressed.’
The former footballer previously said he would like to take part in Strictly as a tribute to his late daughter Azaylia, who died in 2021 at eight months old after suffering from leukaemia.
Ashley and his former partner, Safiyya Vorajee, raised more than £1.5million for Azaylia’s treatment before her death and have since continually raised awareness and money for charity.
‘Me and my family are known for dancing. That’s what we do,’ he told The Sun last year.
‘When I had my daughter in hospital, when she was poorly, any time that she used to be feeling poorly or she was going through chemotherapy, I used to hold her in my arms, and I used to dance with her.
‘And I’d dance with her for hours and hours and hours and hours. So something like Strictly would relate to me in a sense where I would love to do a Lion King-themed dance.
‘I would love to be able to tell my story on such an amazing platform that could reach out to so many incredible people.’
Stacey Solomon
The X Factor alum Stacey Solomon is believed to have caught the eye of Strictly bosses, who are keen to sign her up.
It’s thought she first landed on their radar after winning a National Television Award for her BBC One series Sort Your Life Out in September.
She also has a whopping online following of over six million, with fans obsessed with her life at Pickle Cottage with husband Joe Swash and their kids.
A source told The Sun: ‘Stacey is a hit with viewers thanks to her lovable personality. The BBC always want to showcase their own talent on Strictly, and Stacey’s show has already bagged them an NTA.
”Fans will also love watching her husband Joe Swash in the audience cheering her on every week.’
Stacey would surely be open to the conversation should the Strictly phone call come, having expressed her love for the show in the past, despite not being the best dancer.
‘I would never say never, but I am a terrible dancer, an absolutely terrible dancer. I don’t know why, but I have no rhythm when it comes to movement,’ she said in 2022.
‘I have rhythm with singing or listening to music, but when it comes to moving my feet, I am left-footed; I have two left feet!’
However, she’s a self-professed Strictly fanatic, declaring herself ‘obsessed with the costumes’.
‘Also, I would love to learn a new skill like that. I love learning anything, to be honest,’ added the Loose Woman.
‘I’d be one of those people who would go out in week 1, and they’d be like, “Well, that was a waste of time!”‘
Miranda Hart
Last series, Miranda actress Sarah Hadland wowed viewers and the judges with her dancing talents, reaching the grand final with her pro partner, Vito Coppola.
Throughout the series, she was inundated with support from her celebrity pals and co-stars, most notably Miranda Hart herself, who gave the nation a gorgeous surprise by sitting front row in the studio.
She even made her way into the VT one week, taking her pet pooch to visit Sarah and Vito in rehearsals
Miranda made no secret of the fact that she was Sarah’s biggest cheerleader, sharing a video to Instagram each weekend for motivation and joking about being her sidekick’s teacher.
So, it’s no surprise people want the star to take part in Strictly next time, now that she’s returned to the public eye after battling chronic health issues for some time.
People even want her to follow directly in Sarah’s footsteps and be paired with Vito—Miranda galloping her way onto the Strictly dancefloor is not a want, but a need.
Yinrun Huang
Strictly fans also have their eyes on Big Brother 2023 finalist Yinrun Huang for the upcoming series.
The foodie influencer has gained a following of hundreds of thousands with her online content since finishing fourth in the first outing of ITV’s reboot.
Her cooking videos have repeatedly gone viral, as have her dancing videos with husband Luke.
There’s one video in particular that got people talking, though, as she performed the Charli XCX Apple dance with Strictly professionals Nancy Xu and Carlos Gu.
Proving herself to have natural rhythm, Yinrun has now been backed to take things one step further and compete in Strictly.
She was invited down to the show last year and has remained close pals with Nancy specifically over the past few months, so if there’s such a thing as a Strictly Easter egg, we reckon this could be it.
Angellica Bell
If this rumour is true, Angellica Bell is in for a busy year!
She started off 2025 strong by heading into the Celebrity Big Brother house with the likes of JoJo Siwa, Mickey Rourke, Chris Hughes, Jack P. Shepherd, Donna Preston, and Patsy Palmer.
The CBBC star is, of course, no stranger to live TV, having started out on children’s telly before moving to co-host with Martin Lewis, so we have no doubt she’d ace it under the pressure of Strictly.
According to reports, Angellica was a ‘reserve’ for last year’s series, just like when Kelvin Fletcher took over from Jamie Laing in 2019 when he got injured and had to pull out.
But now, Angellica is hoping to be an original cast member.
‘So when I’ve had like, in-depth conversations with people who are my friends and they say it’s great,’ Angellica previously told The Sun, ‘I would definitely go from their recommendation.’
Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC One later this year.