BBC Strictly Come Dancing shares first look of Christmas special episode

Just when you thought you couldn’t get any more Strictly, the annual festive edition of the BBC dance competition is only a few days away and fans have been granted an exclusive sneak-peak.

Racing driver Billy Monger will be dancing with professional Nadiya Bychkova in the Christmas special, whilst Harry Aikines-Aryeetey will be competing alongside Nancy Xu.

Making history as the show’s first drag queen to star on the BBC show, Ru Paul’s Drag Race star Tayce is partnered up with Kai Widdrington.

EastEnders star Tamzin Outhwaite and Nikita Kuzmin will also be posing a challenge, as will podcaster Vogue Williams who will be taking to the dancefloor alongside Carlos Gu.

Finally, comedian Josh Widdicombe will also be competing during the festive episode with professional Karen Hauer. A supercomputer from FruitySlots.com has already predicted who the winner might be, and things are looking good for Harry Aikines-Aryeetey.

A spokesperson for FruitySlots.com shared: “Christmas Day is a time for goodwill and festive cheer, but when it comes to Strictly Come Dancing’s festive special, the competition is heating up as celebrities battle it out for the Glitterball Trophy.

“With Chris McCausland and his partner Dianne Buswell securing victory this year, it looks like Gladiators star Harry Aikines-Aryeetey and Ru Paul’s Drag Race’s Tayce appear to have the strongest chances of following in their footsteps.

“In contrast, Tamzin Outhwaite and Vogue Williams may need a Christmas miracle as the least likely stars to waltz their way to victory. But with the festive special airing on Christmas Day, the race is still wide open - one of them just might need to pull a cracker of a performance to impress the judges."

Last year, EastEnders star Jamie Borthwick won the festive episode alongside Nancy Xu. The actor then appeared on the competition again a few months later as a 2024 contestant.

Partnered with Michelle Tsiakkas, the pair made it all the way to Week 10 before being voted off. Clearly, it goes to show that despite winning the Christmas special - it did not guarantee himself a place in the final.

When asked by host Tess Daly about his time on the show, Jamie said: “‘Strictly’ is magic. That is all I can say. ‘Strictly’ is magic. Not just everyone who you see in front of the camera, these four here (the judges), but everyone who works on this show.

“I have such a good bond and relationship with and that’s what made me want to do this show, it’s the people, not what I’m doing.

“I’ve had the best time. I could ramble on all day about this one (Michelle.) “She’s a new pro and she’s absolutely been the most amazing teacher. We have laughed like you wouldn’t believe."

Watch the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special on iPlayer and BBC One from 3.55pm on Christmas Day.