Ellie Goldstein Is the Strictly Come Dancing Betting Favourite
Strictly Come Dancing will be back on our TV screens in late September. Ellie Goldstein is the celebrity contestant bookmakers believe is most likely to lift the Glitterball Trophy.
Ellie Goldstein is the bookies pick for Strictly Glitterball glory. @Getty
Key Facts:
- Fourteen celebrity contestants for Strictly Come Dancing’s 23rd series have been announced.
- The bookmaker’s early favourite is 23-year-old trailblazing Down syndrome model, Ellie Goldstein.
- Trained in performing arts, does the second favourite, Dani Dyer, have an advantage over rivals?
The BBC has officially confirmed 14 celebrities who will compete in Strictly Come Dancing 2025. The massively popular TV show will return for its twenty-third series on September 20.
Last year, Strictly Come Dancing’s grand final attracted almost 10 million viewers. The public’s appetite for the show seemingly never dims. Its weekly average viewing numbers have been in excess of eight million for the past two decades.
Members of Strictly’s enormous fan club will be acutely aware of the fine record betting favourites have enjoyed in this show. This time, the UK’s online bookmakers have placed Ellie Goldstein at the head of the betting curve.
Will the 23-year-old trailblazing model, actress and influencer, who made history as the first model with Down syndrome to grace the cover of British Vogue, justify her 11/4 betting odds? Read our preview to help you decide on the destination of this year’s Glitterball Trophy.
What Celebs Will Contest Strictly Come Dancing 2025?
DJ and actor Kristian Nairn was forced to withdraw from the 2025 competition just days after being announced as a contestant due to “unexpected medical reasons”. A replacement contestant has yet to be named.
As a Game of Thrones star, Nairn was probably the show’s highest profile contender. That mantle now passes to Alex Kingston, who is internationally known through her roles in ER, Blue Bloods, Doctor Who, and many other films/TV shows.
The Full List of Confirmed Contestants
- Harry Aikines-Aryeetey (36 years old): An Olympian, multiple gold medal-winning Team GB sprinter, and current star of the rebooted Gladiators.
- Dani Dyer (29): 2018 Love Island winner who has become a TV personality, broadcaster, and author.
- Alex Kingston (62): An award-winning actress and star of stage and screen.
- Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (53): Former Premier League star turned football manager.
- Balvinder Sopal (46): Soap actress who has been an EastEnders regular since 2020.
- George Clarke (25): YouTube and TikTok star. His content consists mainly of entertainment, gaming, vlogs and reaction videos.
- La Voix (45): Drag performer and singer best known for competing on Britain’s Got Talent and finishing second in RuPaul’s Drag Race UK.
- Chris Robshaw (39): Former England national rugby union team captain.
- Ellie Goldstein (23): A cast member of the BBC series Malory Towers, Goldstein is the first model with a disability to represent the Gucci brand and model their beauty products.
- Thomas Skinner (34): The hugely popular The Apprentice contestant has a healthy social media following (posting pictures of large and unusual breakfasts) and has appeared on 8 Out of 10 Cats and Celebrity MasterChef.
- Vicky Pattison (37): Shot to fame in MTV’s Geordie Shore, won I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here and became a Loose Women panellist.
- Stefan Dennis (66): Veteran Neighbours actor.
- Ross King (63): Los Angeles correspondent and presenter with appearances on GMTV, This Morning, Lorraine, Pebble Mill and other British shows.
- Karen Carney (38): Former Chelsea, Arsenal, Birmingham City and England player, now the lead female pundit for TNT and ITV on men’s and women’s football.
What Are the Strictly Come Dancing Odds?
11/4 Ellie Goldstein, 9/2 Dani Dyer, 6/1 George Clarke, 8/1 Vicky Pattison, 10/1 Karen Carney, 12/1 Alex Kingston, 14/1 Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, 16/1 Thomas Skinner, 16/1 Balvinder Sopal, 20/1 La Voix, 25/1 Kristian Nairn, 25/1 Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, 33/1 Stefan Dennis, 40/1 Chris Robshaw, 50/1 Ross King.
What Are the Best Strictly Come Dancing Form Pointers?
Ellie Leach is the youngest ever winner of Strictly. She was 22 when she won the show in 2023. Only four previous winners have been aged over 35. Bill Bailey, 55, was the oldest and the only winner in their 50s.
Theoretically, the four contestants in this year’s competition who are 50-plus have little chance. Nevertheless, Alex Kingston (62) is trading as the sixth favourite. Her odds may reflect the big green tick beside her name in the ‘previous experience’ box.
Contestants with previous dancing experience hold an enormous advantage in this competition. This year, three celebrities might have this head start over their rivals.
The first is Dani Dyer, who trained in performing arts at Sylvia Young Theatre School and has done stage musicals requiring choreography.
La Voix may not be ballroom/Latin trained, but her drag performances involve choreographed routines, musical theatre-style movement, and stage presence. Alex Kingston’s dance training is unknown, but with a theatre background, she likely had at least some significant prior coaching.
Remarkably, it was not until 2017 that Strictly had its first celebrity contestant with a disability – Paralympic athlete Jonnie Peacock – on the show. Since then, Rose Ayling-Ellis (deaf) and Chris McCausland (blind) have won the show.
Another interesting fact is that three actors associated with EastEnders – Jill Halfpenny (2004), Kara Tointon (2010) and Rose Ayling-Ellis (2021) – are previous Strictly winners. The soap opera is the most fruitful source of winners by far.
Strictly Come Dancing Roll of Honor
- 2024 – Chris McCausland – 47
- 2023 – Ellie Leach – 22
- 2022 – Hamza Yassin – 32
- 2021 – Rose Ayling-Ellis – 27
- 2020 – Bill Bailey – 55
- 2019 – Kelvin Fletcher – 35
- 2018 – Stacey Dooley – 30
- 2017 – Joe McFadden – 42
- 2016 – Ore Oduba – 31
Our Best Bet for Strictly Come Dancing
Punters are ‘betting blind’ at this stage of Strictly Come Dancing. The series starts with a pre-recorded launch show on Saturday, September 20, when celebrity/professional pairings will be unveiled.
The first live show – where the celebrities perform their first routines – will follow a week later. Not until Sunday, October 5, will the first results be known. The betting on the competition is sure to be overhauled at this point.
At this juncture, for a speculative punt at a fair price, Vicky Pattison is the suggested bet. She has done well in most celebrity shows that she has contested – being a Celebrity MasterChef finalist for example – and she has a loyal online community of over five million followers.
As a passionate campaigner for women’s health and emotional well-being, the entertaining Geordie will earn plenty of votes regardless of her dancing ability. These factors suggest she could enjoy a deep run in the competition and reward those who back her at her current 8/1 odds.
