George Clarke joins Strictly amid nepo claim

A YouTuber with a famous parent joins Strictly Come Dancing and sparks a discussion about pedigree in show business.

George Clarke Revealed as Nepo Baby With Aardman Boss Father

George Clarke, a British YouTuber and podcaster, was announced as the sixth celebrity contestant for Strictly Come Dancing 2025. His father, Sean Clarke, is the managing director of Aardman Animations, the studio behind Wallace and Gromit, and has steered the company through a move toward digital storytelling. Clarke started at Aardman in 1998 and later co produced films such as Early Man and the Shaun the Sheep features before taking on the top leadership role in 2019. Fans online reacted with surprise, some calling it a nepotism claim, while others welcomed a creator with a large online following to the ballroom.

Sean Clarke has said the company aims to embrace TikTok as it marks its 50th anniversary next year, saying the platform will allow quick, shareable character stories. George Clarke is known for his online presence with 1.52 million TikTok followers and 679k Instagram followers, and he co hosts The Useless Hotline podcast with Max Balegde. The news was revealed on BBC Radio 1s Going Home Drivetime show. George will enter the Strictly ballroom when the show returns to BBC One and BBC iPlayer in September.

This reveal sits at the intersection of online fame and legacy media. It illustrates how a family tie can intersect with a major studio brand, fueling a debate about merit versus pedigree in high profile opportunities. The cross over to Strictly also signals how traditional TV may lean on digital audiences to boost engagement as brands like Aardman plan to modernize for a new generation. The risk is that the nepotism narrative could eclipse the dancing on screen and shape public perception before a single routine is performed.

Highlights

The show will reveal how far fame travels from screen to stage.