The UK television landscape is set to be enriched with a series of celebrity-centric reality shows in the coming months. These programmes promise to blend entertainment with the star power of well-known personalities, offering viewers fresh and engaging content.
**Strictly Come Dancing 2025: A Star-Studded Return**
"Strictly Come Dancing" is gearing up for its 2025 season, expected to air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer this autumn. Following the success of Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell's victory in 2024, speculation is rife about the new celebrity contestants. Names like Martine McCutcheon, Stacey Solomon, and Miranda Hart have been mentioned in various reports. The professional dance lineup will feature returning favourites such as Katya Jones, Gorka Marquez, Johannes Radebe, and Nadiya Bychkova, alongside two new professionals. The judging panel remains unchanged, with Craig Revel Horwood, Shirley Ballas, Motsi Mabuse, and Anton Du Beke. Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman will continue their hosting roles. While an exact start date hasn't been announced, the season is anticipated to launch around mid-September, maintaining the show's tradition of themed weeks and the iconic Blackpool Tower Ballroom trip.
**Celebrity Big Brother 2025: A New Era**
"Celebrity Big Brother" made its return in 2025, airing nightly on ITV1, ITVX, STV, and STV Player, with the live final scheduled for April 25 at 9 pm. Hosted by AJ Odudu and Will Best, the show features spin-offs like "Late & Live" and a nightly live stream. This year's celebrity housemates include EastEnders star Patsy Palmer, actor Mickey Rourke, Jack P Shepherd, Olympic athlete Daley Thompson, and singer JoJo Siwa. As of now, Chesney, Chris, Danny, Donna, Jack, and JoJo are the six finalists competing for the top prize. The house has moved to a new location, and viewers can connect with the show through behind-the-scenes content and late-night coverage. The 2024 season, won by David Potts, garnered over 100 million streams on ITVX, highlighting the show's enduring popularity.
**The Celebrity Traitors: A New Twist on a Popular Format**
"The Celebrity Traitors" is set to premiere on BBC One later in 2025, following the success of "The Traitors UK" season 3. Hosted by Claudia Winkleman, this celebrity edition will see well-known faces competing in the popular murder-mystery format. Confirmed participants include Tom Daley, Bob Mortimer, Stephen Fry, Jonathan Ross, and Clare Balding. Filmed at Ardross Castle in the Scottish Highlands, the show will follow the usual format: celebrities will start as Faithfuls, with a few secretly selected as Traitors aiming to deceive the rest. Through missions, players build a prize fund of up to £120,000, with celebrities aiming to win up to £100,000 for charity. Regular banishments and “murders” spice up the gameplay, culminating in either the Faithfuls or a remaining Traitor claiming the prize. Production began in spring 2025, and fans can anticipate plenty of deception, strategy, and entertainment in this new twist on the hit series.
**Prince Harry's Legal Victory Over News Group Newspapers**
In a significant legal development, Prince Harry has settled his lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch's British newspaper group, News Group Newspapers . The publisher admitted for the first time to unlawful actions at its tabloid, "The Sun," and agreed to a substantial damages payment. Harry had accused NGN of illegally obtaining private information about him from 1996 to 2011 and intruding into the private life of his late mother, Princess Diana. The settlement is reported to be over £10 million, mainly covering legal fees. NGN issued an apology for the serious intrusion into Harry's private life, pertaining to actions of private investigators, not journalists. This settlement may mark the end of similar lawsuits against NGN, which has faced significant financial repercussions from prior lawsuits involving phone hacking and other illegal information-gathering activities.
**Looking Ahead: A Season of Celebrity Entertainment**
As the UK entertainment industry continues to evolve, these upcoming shows and legal developments highlight the dynamic nature of celebrity culture. Audiences can look forward to a season filled with drama, competition, and high-profile personalities, ensuring that the spotlight remains firmly on the stars.
