Strictly Come Dancing 2025 star Kristian Nairn withdraws from competition – and new celebrity to be confirmed tonight
The line-up for the BBC dancing show had been confirmed in full.
Strictly Come Dancing star Kristian Nairn has pulled out of the BBC show due to medical reasons.
The actor and DJ, who is best known for playing Hodor in HBO's Game of Thrones, made the announcement on Thursday (21st August), saying he’s "deeply sorry to disappoint anyone".
"With a heavy heart, I have to step back from this season of Strictly Come Dancing due to unexpected medical reasons," Nairn said in a statement.
"I was truly looking forward to the journey, and I’m deeply sorry to disappoint anyone who was looking forward to seeing me on the dance floor. Thank you all for your support, and I will be back on my feet very soon, in every sense. Love to all, Kristian."
Last week, Nairn was announced as the final contestant joining the 2025 edition of the show.
He said at the time: "This will be a huge challenge for me physically, but I’m ready to rise to it! It’s a surreal and wonderful opportunity to shed one of my left feet!"
Sarah James, executive producer, BBC Studios, added: "We’ve absolutely loved getting to know Kristian in this short time, and he has all the makings of a brilliant Strictly Come Dancing contestant.
"We’re incredibly sorry to lose him from this year’s series and we all wish him a speedy recovery."
Other famous faces set to appear on the show include EastEnders star Balvinder Sopal, YouTuber and podcaster George Clarke, and former Leeds United and Chelsea striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.
They'll be joined by ex-Olympic sprinter Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, Love Island winner Dani Dyer, Doctor Who and ER star Alex Kingston, and RuPaul's Drag Race UK breakout star La Voix, amongst other contestants.
The new celebrity taking Nairn’s place on Strictly Come Dancing will be announced on tonight’s The One Show, on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from 7pm.
Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC One and iPlayer later this year.
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Authors
Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.
