All the couples are taking part to raise much needed funds for a variety of local and national charities and are hoping you can help support them.
With an extraordinary array of people, from husbands and wives splitting up to dance with other partners to a woman who survived being shot 9 times by masked men, this year has a fabulous array of talent.
There are students, parents and even grandparents taking part in this years extravaganza which promises to be an amazing night of fun with fabulous entertainment all while raised vital funds for charities.
They will be taking to the dancefloor at the Seagoe Hotel this weekend (tickets selling out fast) and strutting their stuff to the music of their favourite rock artists. Local rock band Raid 51 is performing from the the doors open at 6:30pm.
Over the two nights of performance, 17 individual charities and organizations will benefit from the event, many of which are local. These include: Reverse Rhett, Marie Curie, Macmillan, NI Chest, Heart and Stroke, Bowel Cancer UK, Little Forget Me Nots Trust, Angel Wishes, Cancer Focus NI, Almost Home, Autism NI, Angel Eyes NI, Cancer Research UK, Portadown Pet Foodbank, B Positive, Paws and People, and Portadown Cares. The couples have been working hard on their fundraising efforts, and many of these charities hold a personal significance to them.
Owen Matchett, from The Agent NI, will be the host. Judges this year are Friday night, Linda McStea, dance teacher, Laura Meston, dance teacher, Neil Robinson, community representative and Willard D'Barber, entrepreneur. Saturday night, Pam Cassells-Totton, dance teacher, Hannah Blevins, dance teacher, and Thomas Vaughan, business owner and entrepreneur.
The show will take place at the Seagoe Hotel on Friday, February 28th, and Saturday, March 1st, 2025. Tickets for Friday night are available from any of the dancers or at the Portadown Cares shop in High Street Mall, Portadown. Please note that Saturday night is already sold out.
Photographs taken by Marie Allen Photographer.
1. Aimee and Jake
Aimee is originally from Portadown and works as a marketing executive for The Collective Agency, Ireland's leading influencer agency. In her spare time Aimee enjoys creating memories with her friends and family. Aimee danced with one of our choreographers Donna Whitten when she was growing up and describes her as a great role model who encouraged her in her studies in performance both across the water and at home with Shelley Lowry. Aimee is dancing to raise awareness and funds for two charities very close to her heart, Chest Heart and Stroke and Little Forget Me Nots Trust. Jake is also from Portadown and works as a sales executive in the family business. In his spare time Jake enjoys socialising as well as playing and coaching football, spending much of his off time coaching youth football for Glenavon Academy and he has recently been appointed reserve team head coach for Portadown BBOB. Jake is returning to the dance floor for the second time having caught the Strictly bug last year when he earned the nickname 'snake hips' from his fellow contestants. Jake is dancing to raise funds and awareness for N.I. Chest Heart and Stroke in memory of both his grandads who sadly passed away. Photo: Marie Allen Photography
2. Emma and Roberto
Emma is 34 and is from Banbridge. She is a makeup artist and mum to 3 beautiful children, Fiónn, Noah and Peyton. Emma says the dancefloor is her happy place and she is no stranger to it as this is her third time taking part in Portadown Cares does Strictly Come Dancing. In her spare time Emma enjoys singing, cooking, travelling and socialising. Emma has chosen to dance to raise funds and awareness for Angel Eyes NI as her two sons are visually impaired and they have been an amazing support to her family. Roberto is from Belfast where he is a chef running his own very successful catering business. Roberto has loved his Strictly experience so far as it has given him great relief from the stresses of work as at rehearsals all he does is laugh! Roberto is a bit of a party animal but says this is a whole different ball game compared to the clubs in Ibiza. Roberto is married to his best friend Anthony and in their spare time they enjoy nothing more than long walks with their little dog Bobby. Roberto is dancing for Autism NI for one of his fellow competitors daughter as well as the children of friends and family who also have autism. Photo: Marie Allen Photography
3. Jessica and Niall
Jessica is from Tandragee. Balancing her role as an accounts payable specialist at Kingspan with her weekend barista gig at Kaba Coffee, she definitely knows how to keep busy. She is also participating in her second Strictly dance competition with Niall, having developed a passion for dancing from the last show. Her free time consists of her love for experimental cooking, running marathons, embracing new challenges and exploring new experiences in the ‘big smoke’ with her friends, from trying new foods to attending random concerts, and to finish the weekend with a good boogie! She is always on the go and never home. An adrenaline junkie! A random fact is that she is a twin, and the pair are described as "chalk and cheese". Niall is from Armagh and works as the Divisional Customer Experience Manager at Kingspan. Niall was in the 2024 Strictly and couldn't wait to get involved again in 2025. Out of all of the fantastic experiences that he had in the 2024 show, the most important thing that he learned was... that he hasn't mastered the art of spray tan! Outside of learning his jive and freestyle routines, Niall enjoys reading football and going to the cinema. Fun fact: he also speaks French and Spanish which he enjoys using to make the most of his holidays and, as he found out in his uni days, recognises that it comes in handy when French tourists need help finding a pub in Portstewart! Jessica and Niall are dancing for Cancer Focus Northern Ireland to support the fantastic work that they do in supporting cancer patients at all stages of their diagnoses. Photo: Marie Allen Photography
4. Jemma and Jason
Jemma was born in Belfast and after she lost her father at 21 her life spiralled out of control. She got involved with the wrong people and found herself in serious trouble which ultimately led to her being shot 9 times by masked men, leaving her in a wheelchair and was told she would never walk again. Turning her life around Jemma who is now a well established permanent makeup artist has partnered with several organisations in Belfast to offer her training skills to young girls to help them avoid travelling a similar path to what she did. Jemma is fundraising for Marie Curie in memory of her sister Leigh-Anne and her friend's mother Ann, both of whom provided her with support during her toughest times. Jason is 30 years old, is Jemma's brother and lives in Belfast and he is both happy and excited to be taking part in Portadown Cares Strictly Rock. Jason has overcome many challenges in his life including diagnosis of Autism, ADHD, and Asperger Syndrome. Jason is a TikTok influencer with just over 40,000 followers. Jason is dancing to raise funds and awareness for NI Chest Heart and Stroke in memory of his grandfather and other family members. Photo: Marie Allen Photography