Strictly 2025 George Clarke is a vocal LGBTQ+ ally who hosts a podcast with this gay influencer
Podcast host and Strictly Come Dancing star George Clark is an LGBTQ+ ally. (BBC)
Podcast host and Strictly Come Dancing star George Clark is an LGBTQ+ ally. (BBC)
George Clarke is one of the latest stars to sign up to the 2025 series of Strictly Come Dancing, and he’s also a pretty staunch LBGTQ+ ally.
YouTuber and podcaster George Clarke has an online audience of millions, due to his presence on TikTok and his podcast The Useless Hotline, which he hosts with notorious gay British influencer, Max Balegde.
The Useless Hotline sees Clarke and Balegde answer “weird” and “embarrassing” fan questions and dilemmas in a modern take on the phone-in format. “We can’t guarantee good advice or that you will leave a changed person, but we can guarantee that this is a useless hotline,” reads the podcast description.
Thanks in part to his close friendship with Balegde, Clark has had the chance to attend numerous Pride events, including New York City Pride in June 2023.
In a series of photos from the event shared by Clarke, he poses with RuPaul’s Drag Race royalty Kim Chi, and beams while standing next to Balegde among the parade.
“Ally in the alley (not their alley, just an alley),” he captioned the sweet post.
In 2023, he was part of Garnier’s Pride campaign, highlighting the importance of his role as an LGBTQ+ ally.
“People may see me as an odd inclusion in a campaign focusing on Pride as I am not part of the LGBTQ+ community myself; however, it is those who aren’t directly affected that are the least knowledgeable on what the community goes through,” he said in a statement at the time.
“I’ve learnt that being an ‘ally’ doesn’t mean that you have to be dressed in rainbow colours 24/7, it just means that you’re willing to be open to listen to your friend”.
Announcing his appearance as a contestant on series 23 of the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing, Clarke said: “Never thought I’d say this… but I’m doing Strictly! Honestly, I’ve got no idea what I’m doing but I’m excited to get stuck in… and potentially fall over a fair bit.”
He will compete against RuPaul’s Drag Race UK season six finalist La Voix, who will become the first drag queen competitor on a full-length season of the dancing show.
Other competitors on the 2025 series include EastEnders actress Balvinder Sopal, Doctor Who actress Alex Kingston, Love Island winner Dani Dyer, England ruby player Chris Robshaw, Gladiator star and Olympic sprinter Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, footballer Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, and model Ellie Goldstein.
Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC One in the autumn.
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