Ellie Goldstein to join Strictly as first Down syndrome contestant

Ellie Goldstein, a model, actress and disability campaigner, will join Strictly Come Dancing this year, marking the first time a contestant with Down syndrome has taken part in a regular, non-special edition of the BBC ballroom series. She is among ten celebrities announced for the new series, a lineup that also includes former England rugby captain Chris Robshaw, Drag Race UK finalist La Voix, Love Island winner Dani Dyer, EastEnders actor Balvinder Sopal, YouTuber George Clarke, Doctor Who and ER star Alex Kingston, former footballer Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, and Olympic-style entertainer Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, also known as Nitro. The show is scheduled to air on BBC One and iPlayer this autumn, with further confirmations anticipated in the coming days.

Goldstein’s casting is presented as a milestone for inclusion and representation. She has previously emerged as a prominent advocate for people with Down syndrome, becoming the first model with the condition to appear on the British Vogue cover and to lead a Gucci campaign, and she has continued to take on acting roles, most recently in a BBC children’s drama. On joining Strictly, Goldstein said she felt “honoured and excited”...