The UK's entertainment landscape is set to be invigorated with the return of several popular reality television series featuring a host of renowned celebrities. These shows promise to deliver a blend of drama, competition, and entertainment, captivating audiences across the nation.
**Strictly Come Dancing Series 23**
The BBC has announced the return of "Strictly Come Dancing" for its twenty-third series, slated to commence in September 2025. Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman will reprise their roles as hosts, while the judging panel remains unchanged with Shirley Ballas, Anton Du Beke, Motsi Mabuse, and Craig Revel Horwood. The professional dancers from the previous series, including Dianne Buswell, Nadiya Bychkova, and Amy Dowden, are set to return. Additionally, two new professional dancers, Alexis Warr and Julian Caillon, have been introduced to the lineup. The celebrity contestants will be revealed in the coming weeks, building anticipation for the upcoming series.
**The Celebrity Traitors**
The BBC has also commissioned "The Celebrity Traitors," a spin-off of the popular reality series "The Traitors." Scheduled to premiere in Autumn 2025, the show will be hosted by Claudia Winkleman. Filming began in April 2025 at Ardross Castle and concluded the following month, consisting of nine episodes to air over three weeks. The celebrity contestants include Alan Carr, Cat Burns, Celia Imrie, Charlotte Church, Clare Balding, David Olusoga, Joe Marler, Joe Wilkinson, Jonathan Ross, Kate Garraway, Lucy Beaumont, Mark Bonnar, Nick Mohammed, Niko Omilana, Paloma Faith, Ruth Codd, Stephen Fry, Tameka Empson, and Tom Daley. This diverse lineup is expected to bring a fresh dynamic to the series, engaging viewers with their unique personalities and backgrounds.
**I'm a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! Series 24**
ITV's flagship reality show, "I'm a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!" is set to return for its twenty-fourth series in November 2024. The series will be filmed in Murwillumbah, New South Wales, Australia, with Ant and Dec returning as hosts. The companion show, "I'm a Celebrity: Unpacked," will also make a comeback after a four-year hiatus, hosted by Joel Dommett, Sam Thompson, and Kemi Rodgers. The previous series concluded with Danny Jones being crowned the "King of the Jungle," marking the second member of McFly to win the title.
**Celebrity Big Brother 2025**
"Celebrity Big Brother 2025" has returned, airing nightly on ITV1, ITVX, STV, and STV Player, with its live final scheduled for April 25 at 9pm. Hosted again by AJ Odudu and Will Best, the show features spin-offs including Late & Live and a nightly live stream. This year’s celebrity housemates include EastEnders star Patsy Palmer, Mickey Rourke, Jack P Shepherd, Olympic athlete Daley Thompson, and JoJo Siwa, among others. 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. Previous winner David Potts won the 2024 season.
**Artists' 'Right to Personality' Amid AI Concerns**
In a significant development for the creative industry, the UK government is proposing a new "right to personality" to protect artists and celebrities from AI companies creating products that mimic their distinctive features. Ministers will consult on updating copyright rules to regulate how AI technologies use artists' content for training models. This consultation aims to introduce new protections for creators, aiming to block AI products that closely resemble famous voices, images, or other features. A key part of the consultation is establishing a rights reservation mechanism, balancing content licensing opportunities with protection for creators who do not want their material used. The issue is controversial, as creative industry executives fear the proposed mechanism will result in their content being easily appropriated by tech companies, threatening the UK's creative sectors.
These developments highlight the dynamic nature of the UK's entertainment industry, with reality television continuing to captivate audiences and new legislative measures being considered to protect the rights of artists in the age of artificial intelligence.
