Strictly Come Dancing is one of the nation's most beloved TV shows, having quickly established its place as an autumn staple since debuting on the BBC 20 years ago. While we love watching new celebrities take to the dance floor each year, it's the glamorous cast of hosts and judges who keep us coming back season after season.
From longtime presenter Tess Daly to the longest-serving judge Craig Revel Horwood, here's all you need to know about the show's cast ahead of season 22.
The hosts
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![Tess Daly attends the Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards](https://images.hellomagazine.com/horizon/original_aspect_ratio/0f9045f72f50-tess-daly.jpg)
Tess Daly
Tess Daly has been the face of Strictly since its very first episode back in 2004. She hosted the show alongside Sir Bruce Forsyth for 11 seasons before his departure in 2014, when Claudia Winkleman joined as his replacement.
For those who don't know, Tess, 55, is both a model and presenter who began her career at the age of 18, taking on professional modelling jobs across the world, from Tokyo to New York.
Tess transitioned from modelling to presenting in the early 2000s and after sending a showreel to the producers of Channel 4's The Big Breakfast, landed a gig as the host of Find Me a Model. From there, she presented various reality programmes before signing on as the co-host of Strictly.
Away from the cameras, Tess is married to radio DJ Vernon Kay, with whom she shares two daughters, Phoebe, 19, and Amber, 15. The family live in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire.
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![Claudia Winkleman attends the 2023 BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises at The Royal Festival Hall on May 14, 2023 in London, England.](https://images.hellomagazine.com/horizon/original_aspect_ratio/856adc470535-claudia-winkleman-new-look.jpg)
Claudia Winkleman
A woman of many talents, Claudia Winkleman is a TV presenter, radio host and journalist. Over the course of her glittering 30-year broadcasting career, Claudia has fronted an array of TV and radio programmes, from Eurovision and BBC Radio 2's Saturday show to Hell's Kitchen and The Traitors.
Claudia isn't the only famous face in her family as her mother is the journalist Eve Pollard, who was one of the first female editors of a national newspaper in the UK. Meanwhile, her half-sister is the actress Sophie Winkleman (Sanditon, Peep Show), who married into the Royal Family when she tied the knot with Lord Frederick Windsor in 2009.
When she's not on our TV screens, Claudia can be found at home in London with her husband, film producer Kris Thykier and their three children, Jake, 21, Matilda, 18, and Arthur, 13.
MORE STRICTLY STARS
The judges
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![Shirley Ballas on Strictly](https://images.hellomagazine.com/horizon/original_aspect_ratio/d4dab047a019-400220-2.jpg)
Shirley Ballas
Former ballroom dancer Shirley Ballas heads up the show's judging panel. The 63-year-old, who joined the programme following Len Goodman's departure in 2017, is known as the Queen of Latin thanks to her numerous accolades. By the time she was 21, Shirley had won nearly every major title she competed in and remains the only person to have ever won the British Open to the World Latin American Championships in Blackpool with two different partners.
As for her personal life, the dancer was previously married to her ballroom partner, Corky Ballas, with whom she shares a son, dancer Mark Ballas. The couple divorced in 2007.
Shirley is currently in a relationship with her boyfriend Danny Taylor.
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![Strictly Come Dancing's Craig Revel Horwood](https://images.hellomagazine.com/horizon/original_aspect_ratio/a40e10890d0f-craig-revel-horwood-strictly-judge.jpg)
Craig Revel Horwood
As the longest-serving member of the judging panel, Craig Revel Horwood has been dishing out 2s, 3s, and the occasional 10, since the show first began back in 2004.
The Australian-born performer is famed for his musical theatre career, having appeared in various West End productions, including Cats, Miss Saigon, and Crazy For You. He's also a talented director and choreographer, earning Laurence Olivier Award nominations for his choreography work on the musicals, Spend Spend Spend and My One and Only.
Since 2018, Craig has been in a relationship with horticulturist Jonathan Myring. The pair, who live in Northamptonshire, became engaged in 2020.
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![anton du beke on sofa](https://images.hellomagazine.com/horizon/original_aspect_ratio/8e593a4ac6d7-anton-du-beke-smiling-sofa.jpg)
Anton Du Beke
Former pro dancer Anton Du Beke is the most recent addition to the judging panel, having replaced Bruno Tonioli in 2021. The ballroom dancer, who has featured in every series of Strictly, found his calling at the age of 14 and has never looked back!
In 1997, he met his professional partner, former Strictly pro Erin Boag. A winning duo, the pair went on to bag the New Zealand Championship the following year.
During his time as a pro on Strictly, Anton teamed up with the likes of Ruth Langsford, Patsy Palmer, and Ann Widdecombe. While he's never lifted the glitterball trophy, the TV star has made it to the grand final on two occasions; in 2015 with Katie Derham and in 2019 with Emma Barton.
Away from the show, Anton has co-hosted two BBC travel series with former pro Giovanni Pernice, and also authored a series of romance novels.
When he's not sitting on the judging panel, Anton can be found at home in Buckinghamshire with his wife Hannah Summers and their twin children, George and Henrietta.
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![Motsi Mabuse in floral dress](https://images.hellomagazine.com/horizon/original_aspect_ratio/395ce9db60a1-motsi-mabuse-headshot-floral-dress.jpg)
Motsi Mabuse
Long before she landed her judging role on Strictly, Motsi Mabuse rose to fame on the German dance competition Let's Dance, initially as a pro dancer and, later, as a judge.
The 43-year-old, who hails from Pretoria in South Africa, competed in various international dance competitions during her career and even won the German Latin dance contest in 2013.
Motsi isn't the only dancer in her family as her sister Oti Mabuse is also famed for her dance career, as well as for appearing as a Strictly professional from 2015 to 2021.
Away from the cameras, Motsi is married to her dance partner, Evgenij Voznyuk, with whom she shares a daughter. The couple wed in 2017 following Motsi's split from her ex-husband, Timo Kulczak, in 2014.
Every Strictly Come Dancing winner so far
![Rose and Giovanni with the Glitterball in 2021](https://images.hellomagazine.com/horizon/original_aspect_ratio/037602a0d73b-367046.jpg)
- 2004: Natisha Kaplinsky (partner Brendan Cole)
- 2004: Jill Halfpenny (partner Darren Bennett)
- 2005: Darren Gough (partner Lilia Kopylova)
- 2006: Mark Ramprakash (partner Karen Hardy)
- 2007: Alesha Dixon (partner Matthew Cutler)
- 2008: Tom Chambers (partner Camilla Dallerup)
- 2009: Chris Hollins (partner Ola Jordan)
- 2010: Kara Tointon (partner Artem Chigvintsev)
- 2011: Harry Judd (partner Aliona Vilani)
- 2012: Louis Smith (partner Flavia Cacace)
- 2013: Abbey Clancy (partner Aljaž Škorjanec)
- 2014: Caroline Flack (partner Pasha Kovalev)
- 2015: Jay McGuiness (partner Aliona Vilani)
- 2016: Ore Oduba (partner Joanne Clifton)
- 2017: Joe McFadden (partner Katya Jones)
- 2018: Stacey Dooley (partner Kevin Clifton)
- 2019: Kelvin Fletcher (partner Oti Mabuse)
- 2020: Bill Bailey (partner Oti Mabuse)
- 2021: Rose Ayling-Ellis (partner Giovanni Pernice)
- 2022: Hamza Yassin (partner Jowita Przystał)
- 2023: Ellie Leach (partner Vito Coppola)