Bobby Brazier is the youngest contestant in this year’s Strictly celebrity line-up.

By Morgan Cormack

Published: Saturday, 23 September 2023 at 20:00 PM


The first live show in a new season of Strictly Come Dancing is always an opportunity to set out your stall and mark yourself as a contender going forward – and Bobby Brazier certainly did that.

Performing a Foxtrot to All About You by McFly, alongside his partner Dianne Buswell, the EastEnders newcomer scored himself an impressive 29 points from the judges, coming joint second on the leaderboard.

It was an emotional dance which brought a tear to the eye of Brazier’s dad Jeff, who was supporting his son from the ballroom’s audience.

Brazier, who is best known for his EastEnders role as Freddie Slater, recently revealed that he “begged” his boss on the soap to let him take time out to do Strictly, calling it a “no-brainer”.

He also told RadioTimes.com before performing his dance that he was “excited to just get it done and perform it for the last time”, calling it a “very cute” routine.

Brazier is part of a line-up that also includes Amanda AbbingtonAngela RipponLayton WilliamsKrishnan Guru-MurthyEddie KadiAngela Scanlon and Zara McDermott, each of whom will be trying their hardest each week to secure those perfect 10s and make their way through the weeks to win the Glitterball trophy.

Read on for everything you need to know about Bobby Brazier and what he has said about the competition.

Who is Bobby Brazier?

Bobby Brazier in front of Strictly Come Dancing backdrop
Bobby Brazier for Strictly Come Dancing. BBC

Age: 20

Job: Actor and model

Instagram: @bobbybrazier

Twitter: N/A

Strictly partner: Dianne Buswell

Brazier is an actor and model, best known for his current role in long-running soap EastEnders. Although Brazier only recently joined the EastEnders cast in 2022, his character, Freddie Slater, has been subject to a major emotional storyline as of late regarding the true paternity of his father.

When he’s not acting, Brazier is also a model, having appeared on magazine covers, taken to the runway for Dolce & Gabbana in Milan Fashion Week and has also subsequently modelled at London and Paris Fashion Weeks.

Brazier is the son of TV presenter Jeff Brazier and Big Brother star Jade Goody, who passed away from cervical cancer in 2009. As a child, before his mother’s death, he appeared in her three Sky Living reality series (Just Jade, Jade’s Salon and Jade’s Wedding) from 2005 until her passing in 2009.

Since then, Brazier has won the award for Rising Star at the National Television Awards for his role on EastEnders. When he’s not acting, Brazier also uses his TikTok account to give a behind-the-scenes look into his life, share updates and promote positive mental health and wellbeing.

Strictly star Bobby Brazier (credit: BBC/Ray Burmiston)
BBC/Ray Burmiston

What has Bobby Brazier said about joining Strictly 2023?

Speaking about his Strictly Come Dancing debut, Brazier told the BBC: “I’m so excited to be part of the Strictly line-up, I can’t wait to start training like a professional dancer and adding a few moves to my locker.”

He added: “I’m looking forward to performing in-front of everyone, it’s going to be so much fun!”

Ahead of his appearance on the dance competition, Brazier told RadioTimes.com that he is looking forward to doing the “sexy dances” on this year’s Strictly.

When asked what dances he is particularly looking forward to, the EastEnders actor said: “I keep saying the sexy ones. By that I mean the hips and the shoulders.”

When does Strictly Come Dancing 2023 start?

Strictly Come Dancing 2023 premiered on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Saturday 16th September at 6:35pm.