Wicked star Cynthia Erivo is to return to Strictly Come Dancing as the show’s first ever guest mentor. The 38-year-old will appear during Movie Week on October 11, having previously appeared on the BBC dancing programme as a guest judge for two weeks in 2021, covering for Craig Revel Horwood and later Motsi Mabuse. During her previous two weeks on Strictly, Erivo was praised for giving her feedback to eventual champion, TV presenter Rose Ayling-Ellis, who is deaf, in British Sign Language (BSL). It comes after the first live show of Strictly’s 2025 series saw former England Lionesses midfielder Karen Carney become the first footballer to top the Strictly Come Dancing leaderboard for 18 years. Strictly will return at 6.20pm on BBC One on Saturday, where the judges’ scores from the first live show will roll over to this week, and the first elimination will take place.