Strictly Come Dancing 2022: List of celebrities appearing on the BBC One show so far - including Leeds broadcaster Helen Skelton

The entertainment show produced by BBC Studios will return to screens on BBC One and BBC iPlayer for its 20th series this autumn.

From August 4, the BBC has announced the celebrities who will be participating in the glamorous dance competition - and one of them has a connection with Yorkshire.

The show’s start date has been moved from Saturday, September 17 to Friday, September 23 in the wake of The Queen’s death.

Below is the line-up of public figures who will be dancing their way through the competition.

Will Mellor

Actor, Will, is known for many roles over the last 30 years including his starring role in Hollyoaks (James ‘Jambo’ Bolton), Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps (Gaz Wilkinson), Line of Duty (PC Rod Kennedy) and Broadchurch (Steve Connolly).

More recently he appeared on Coronation Street as Harvey Gaskell. As well as a successful acting career, Will has also reached number five on the UK Singles Chart with his song ‘When I Need You’ in 1998.

“I’m honestly so chuffed to be taking part in Strictly Come Dancing this year! Not going to lie, it’s totally out of my comfort zone and I know it will be a huge challenge but that’s what life's all about,” he said.

“This is also my mum’s favourite show and she’s had a really tough few years so I’m doing this for her as well. Bring it on!”

Kym Marsh

This soap actor, singer and TV presenter is known as the lead singer of Hear’Say in the early 2000s after appearing on the singing competition Popstars. She is also known for her role as Michelle Connor on the ITV soap Coronation Street, which she portrayed from 2006 to 2019. She won ‘Best Newcomer’ for this role at the National Television Awards and British Soap Awards.

She most recently played the role of Alex in the touring theatre production of Fatal Attraction and is currently presenting on BBC One’s Morning Live show. She is also set to star in the revival on BBC One drama Waterloo Road.

Kym said: “I’ve considered doing Strictly for years but the timings never worked out. I’m so delighted that this year they have! I’m a huge fan of the show and can’t believe I’m going to go from watching at home in my pyjamas to actually dancing in front of the judges in a glittery dress, it’s unreal!”

Richie Anderson

The radio and TV presenter has won an RTS award and is best known for his popular role on BBC Radio 2’s Breakfast Show, presenting the travel bulletins as well as hosting a wide range of his own shows.

In May he travelled to Turin to cover the Eurovision Song Contest for the radio station. He is a regular presenter on The One Show and is regularly seen on BBC One and took part in the channel’s recent coverage of the Platinum Jubilee.

Richie said: “This is a dream come true! I cannot wait to get in those sparkles and sequins and shimmy across the most famous dance floor in the world! Strictly is the ultimate feel good show, as soon as I hear that iconic theme tune it’s just pure escapism.

“I’m going to have to cancel my legendary Strictly launch night kitchen party that I throw every year, I’m sure my friends and family will understand. It’s also a massive honour to be part of an all-male dance partnership, it’s so important we have that inclusion on such a huge show.”

Kaye Adams

Kaye is a TV and radio presenter and journalist. She is well known as the anchor on ITV’s topical discussion show Loose Women as well as for hosting the morning show on BBC Radio Scotland.

She started her career as a news journalist and presented programming for various TV channels including STV, the BBC and Channel 5. She also started her popular podcast ‘How To Be 60 With Kaye Adams’ in 2022.

She said: “I said I wanted to make the last year of my fifties memorable and I can’t think of a better way of doing it than showing the world my two left feet. Pray for me!”

Jayde Adams

Jayde is a comedian, actor and presenter; she is best known as a comedian and has won multiple comedy awards and was nominated for the coveted Best Newcomer with her Edinburgh Fringe debut stand-up hour.

Her Amazon Prime special ‘Serious Black Jumper’ received global critical acclaim and was released internationally. It was also longlisted for an Emmy Award.

As an actor, Jayde has starred in BBC Two BAFTA winning comedy ‘Alma’s Not Normal’, the upcoming Take That movie Greatest Days, Amazon Prime’s Good Omens and the BBC One’s The Outlaws.

She is the co-creator and star of ITV2’s new series Ruby Speaking. Jayde also hosted Netflix’s Crazy Delicious, co-hosted Channel 4’s BAFTA nominated Snackmasters and has a weekly BBC Radio 4 podcast called Welcome to the Neighbourhood. She is also currently performing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with her stand-up show Men, I Can Save You.

She said: “Since I watched the first series in 2004, I feel like every step I’ve taken in my career over the last 11 years was to be on Strictly. I cannot begin to express the emotions I am feeling, this means so much to me and my family.

“I’ve always watched it, apart from a brief hiatus in 2011 as I was relentlessly gigging every weekend (to try and get on Strictly). I’ve been a massive fan of the show for years. I feel like I’m watching myself in a dream and I can’t believe I’ve manifested this. Holding this in has been torture for me!”

Ellie Simmonds OBE

The five-time Paralympic champion and broadcaster was the youngest British athlete to attend the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing where she competed at the tender age of 13. She ended up winning gold medals in the 100m and 400m freestyle events. In 2012 she won gold again in the 400m freestyle and the 200m Individual Medley at the Summer Paralympics in London and won a further gold medal in the 200m Individual Medley at Rio 2016.

Ellie has also won 10 gold World Championships titles and at the age of 13 she won BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year and a year later, at just 14 years old, she became the youngest person to ever receive an MBE. She was promoted to OBE in the 2013 New Year Honours for services to Paralympic sport.

In 2020, she retired from competitive swimming and has gone on to present for BBC Sport and most recently for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, as well as making documentaries like ‘Ellie Simmonds: A World Without Dwarfism?’ for BBC One and BBC iPlayer. She is also set to explore disability and adoption in a recently announced ITV film.

Ellie said: “Oh my gosh! I’m literally bursting with excitement! It’s been soooo hard keeping this secret as I’ve wanted to tell everyone. I’m going on Strictly Come Dancing!

“I’m a tad nervous too, well more than a tad… I’m absolutely petrified! To be asked to be part of the Strictly family is just so exciting and I cannot wait, it’s going to be so much fun. I’m counting down the minutes until it starts; learning to dance, meeting my partner and everyone else involved in the show. Plus wearing the sequins and all that, it’s going to be a blast. I’ve been watching Strictly from as far back as I can remember; it’s a traditional lead up to Christmas with my family and it’s a genuine privilege to be part of it.”

Tyler West

Tyler is a TV presenter, radio host and DJ and is best known for hosting weekday afternoons on KISS for which he was nominated for a prestigious ARIA for Best New Presenter in 2020. He started his broadcasting career in children’s television and presented various programmes across CBBC. He has hosted MTV News, HQ Trivia and the 2020 EE BAFTA Awards Red Carpet Live Show.

Last year he launched his first BBC Three series, co-hosting Flat Out Fabulous as well as becoming the host of The MTV Movie Show.

Tyler said: “I am so gassed to be joining the Strictly family! As I started writing this I already got cramp. It’s going to be one crazy incredible journey which will no doubt be so far outside my comfort zone. It’s a show that means so me and my family and I can’t wait to seriously shake a leg on that shiny dance floor… with a side of sequins.”

Matt Goss

Singer-songwriter, musician and actor, Matt, shot to fame as the frontman of BROS, with their debut album Push going platinum seven times. For a full 54 weeks the album remained in the UK Top Ten Music Charts.

He is now a solo artist and is about to release his album The Beautiful Unknown. Over the last 10 years, Matt has had a record breaking residency on the Las Vegas strip. He has received the Icon Award and has even been given his own Matt Goss Day on August 8, which happens to coincide with his late mother’s birthday.

The cult documentary ‘After the Screaming Stops’ was nominated for three BAFTAs which resulted in a win and it also won the BBC Moment of the Year and a National Television Award.

Matt is also a best-selling author and has new books in the works. He is also set to portray the lead role in the upcoming psychological thriller movie ‘Cobbler Killer Stranger’.

He said: “I’m extremely nervous and excited, but I’m optimistic because I’m very supple from the knees down.”

Ellie Taylor

Ellie is a comedian, broadcaster, writer and actor.

Before her career took off, Ellie studied English Literature at the University of York and was a member of the University of York Drama Society where she participated in three or four plays.

She started her career as a stand-up comedian following her appearance on ITV’s Show Me The Funny and went on to write and perform five stand-up comedy shows, one of which streamed on Netflix as part of Comedians of the World, called Cravings.

Ellie is best known as a regular on the BBC’s Mock The Week, The Mash Report and Live at the Apollo, Late Night Mash on Dave and more recently, as a co-host on Channel 4’s The Great Pottery Throw Down. She also stars in Apple TV’s comedy series Ted Lasso and her debut book ‘My Child and Other Mistakes’ became a Sunday Times bestseller in 2021.

She has new projects in the works including two brand-new formats as she presents You Won’t Believe This for Channel 4 and co-hosts Cheat alongside Danny Dyer, which will be coming to Netflix soon.

Ellie said: “Well, cover me in fake tan and roll me in sequins! I’m absolutely over the moon to be a part of Strictly 2022! I’ve watched the show for years so to be able to take to the dance floor is a dream come true, for both me and mum who is a Strictly super fan!

“At the moment I’m focussing on the excitement and glitter and choosing to ignore the fact that I have the dancing ability of a newly born giraffe. Bring it on!”

Molly Rainford

At the young age of 21, this singer and actor has already made a name for herself as an ‘intergalactic pop superstar’.

She first appeared on our TV screens at the age of 11 in 2012 when she became the youngest ever finalist of Britain’s Got Talent.

Molly continued with her studies following her success on BGT and Simon Cowell and Sony Music honoured Molly with their first ever drama school scholarship at internationally renowned Sylvia Young Theatre School.

Since she graduated, she is currently starring as the lead role of intergalactic pop superstar ‘Nova Jones’ in the hit CBBC show Nova Jones. This autumn, Molly will be seen across CBBC screens as Nova Jones who returns for series two. The series has proved so popular that the BBC has already filmed a third series.

She has also been shortlisted for best newcomer at the 2022 Variety Club Showbusiness Awards and has released two EPs including Single Commitment which has reached more than two million streams to date.

Molly said: “I’m so excited to be part of Strictly Come Dancing, I’ve watched it for years and can’t wait to meet the pros and the others taking part! I can’t wait to learn the moves and get dancing!”

Tony Adams MBE

Tony is a former footballer and manager. His career as a centre-back spans more than 22 years during which time he played for both Arsenal and England. He was also the captain of both teams and is considered one of Arsenal’s greatest ever players.

He won 66 caps for England, participated in four major tournaments and had 10 major trophies whilst still being the only player in English football history to captain a team to three top titles across 30 years.

As captain of the English team, he famously led the national team to the Euro 96 semi-finals; whilst he was playing football he founded Sporting Chance, a charity to help sports people with mental health and addiction issues, where he remains Honorary president today.

Tony is a father of six and husband to wife, Poppy, and when he retired he went into coaching and management before recently launching his new project, SIX MHS, which offers mental health and addictions services to non-sports people and non-sports organisations. He is currently still the patron of four other additional charities, NACOA, Forward Trust, Saving Faces, School Home Support and has started the charity 6 Addiction, for people who can’t afford private mental health services.

Tony said: “To say I’m excited is an understatement - the lure of the sequins and the call of the salsa has me swapping my battered old football boots for a set of Strictly soft shoes.

“I am absolutely thrilled to be giving it my all on this year’s 20th anniversary of Strictly Come Dancing. I can’t wait to meet my partner - god help her - and start the dancing.”

Fleur East

This singer-songwriter and TV and radio presenter first began her career when she entered the 11th series of The X Factor. After coming in second place, she has been a regular household name in the music and broadcasting world.

As a singer, she has released two albums, with European chart hit single Sax reaching number three in the UK singles chart.

She has also appeared on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here in 2018, where she finished in fourth place, and became the host of the Hits Radio Breakfast show which she hosts every weekday. She has also appeared as a presenter on the last three series of Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway and was a host on ITV game show The Void.

Fleur said: “I’m equally nervous and thrilled to be part of this year’s Strictly line up. I’m excited to learn new skills and I want to soak up every moment of this magical experience.

“It’s such an honour to be on the show after years of watching it with my father who loved it so much. Unfortunately, my dad is no longer with us but I know he will be watching over the ballroom in spirit. I’m doing this to make him and my family proud and can’t wait to get my dancing shoes on!”

Hamza Yassin

Hamza is a wildlife cameraman and presenter. He is one of the presenters of BBC’s Animal Park and a guest presenter on BBC’s Countryfile.

He is well known as Ranger Hamza to his younger viewers, presenting CBeebies live-action show Let’s Go For A Walk and also for his camera skills. His new series Ranger Hamza’s Eco Quest later this month. Hamza moved to the Scottish Highlands when he was younger to follow his dream of filming Scottish wildlife and becoming a wildlife cameraman.

He has lived there ever since and recently fronted Channel 4 documentary Scotland: My Life in the Wild and Scotland: Escape to the Wilderness, where he guided celebrity companions on journeys through western and eastern Scotland and the Highlands.

Hamza also competes in the Highland Games in his spare time and enjoys riding on his motorbike.

He said: “I am absolutely over the moon to be joining Strictly 2022. Never in a million years did I think I’d be on such a cool show. I’ve been watching it for years and I can’t believe I’ll actually be there dancing live in front of the British public.

“My dance skills are currently at the level of ‘1970s disco vibe’ but I’m ready to work hard and will be shaking it every time I get the chance - shake it ‘til you make it!”

James Bye

James Bye is a stage and screen actor best known for his role of Martin Fowler on EastEnders, which he took over from James Alexandrou in 2014. He has been nominated for multiple British Soap awards and won Best Storyline in 2016.

Previously, he has appeared in the BBC One mini-series The Great Train Robbery and films including Hummingbird, The Hooligan Factory and Cemetery Junction. As a stage actor, he has performed in several well-reviewed theatre productions.

James said: “I’m not known for my shimmy or my twinkle toes - in fact my kids regularly laugh at my dad dancing but it’s an honour to be asked and I’m going to give it my best shot.

“There are some huge dance shoes to fill and it’s truly exciting to follow in the footsteps of some amazing EastEnders talent. I’d love to do everyone proud.”

Helen Skelton

The TV and radio broadcaster, who lives in Leeds, is the fifteenth celebrity confirmed to be dancing on the show.

She began her TV career in children’s television, presenting Newsround and Blue Peter on BBC. At the time of presenting on Blue Peter, she also took part in some incredible challenges, including completing the Namibia Ultra Marathon, cycling to the South Pole and kayaking more than 2,018 miles down the Amazon River.

Since then she has also presented multiple shows across different channels including Countryfile, various sporting events for BBC Sport, ITV’s Lorraine, BT Sport’s FA Women’s Super League football matches, Channel 4’s Rugby league coverage and Inside The Superbrands as well as the very popular On The Farm series for Channel 5 and being a regular on ITV Tonight.

During her radio presenting career, she has stood in for Dermot O’Leary and OJ Borg on BBC Radio 2, hosted multiple shows across BBC Radio 5 Live and has recently been revealed as the host of BBC Radio 5 Live Sunday morning show.

On top of broadcasting and presenting, Helen has also published a book ‘Amy Wild: Amazon Summer’ and ‘Wild Girl: A Guide To Adventures’.

She said: “I’m really excited to get stuck into a fun adventure. My family and friends have always loved the show and can’t wait for me to get started.”