Ellie Goldstein has been confirmed as the ninth celebrity taking to the dancefloor for the 2025 series of Strictly Come Dancing, returning to BBC One and BBC iPlayer this September.
A self-confessed fan of the show, Ellie is ready to embrace every sequin and step, saying: “Let the Strictly journey begin!”
She joins a growing legacy of trailblazing contestants helping to make dance more inclusive. Since Paralympian Jonnie Peacock joined the show in 2017, Strictly has welcomed barrier-breaking stars like Rose Ayling-Ellis (the first deaf contestant and 2021 champion), Ellie Simmonds (the show’s first contestant with achondroplasia – a form of dwarfism), and 2023 winner Chris McCausland, Strictly’s first blind dancer.
Ellie is a pioneering model, actor, and influencer. She made history as the first model with Down syndrome to appear on the cover of British Vogue and has starred in major campaigns for Gucci Beauty, Adidas and more. In 2023, she teamed up with Mattel to launch the first Barbie with Down syndrome.
We also featured Ellie as one of our 45 trailblazers in our August 2023 issue of Lifestyle magazine, which celebrated 45 years of the Motability Scheme.
Add the new season of Strictly to your BBC iPlayer watchlist and get ready for a glittering new series.
