Make a note of these 23 names as I predict a huge 12 months ahead for them.
Since 2020, on New Year's Day, I like to pull together a list of names who I believe will be huge on television in the twelve months ahead. A list made up of complete newcomers, internet stars ready for mainstream crossover, and familiar faces not yet known for their telly work, plus everyone else in between.
In recent years, some of the names on this list have included comedians Babatúndé Aléshé, Jayde Adams, London Hughes, Munya Chawawa, Rosie Jones and Sophie Willan and presenters Jordan North, Vick Hope and Zeze Millz, actors Callum Scott Howells, Omari Douglas and Paul Mescal and many more!
So, be sure to make a note of my 23 TV stars of tomorrow for 2023 as I predict a huge 12 months ahead for them...
Ambika Mod
Who is Ambika?
Actor and comedian Ambika Mod's first leading role was in last year's BBC One drama This is Going to Hurt, based on Adam Kay's bestselling memoir of the same name, in which she played junior doctor Shruti Acharya. And just last month, she played a runner called Una in I Hate Suzie Too on Sky Atlantic alongside Billie Piper.
Ambika is also a stand-up comedian and is one half of comedy duo Megan from HR, with Andrew Doherty, whose debut full-length Edinburgh Fringe show in 2019 received five-star reviews and their second show was due to be performed in 2020 but... well, we know what happened there.
What's next for Ambika?
Whilst a second series of This is Going to Hurt is yet to be confirmed, but heavily rumoured, Ambika will be gracing our screens once more in another major adaptation, this time of David Nicholls' bestseller One Day for Netflix.
As for Meghan from HR, it's unclear as to whether the duo will perform together again but in February 2022, Andrew did respond to one follower that they were "still v much going! It's just that one of us is a national TV star whilst the other is a directionless gay man!!!!!!".
Ash Self
Who is Ash?
Proud trans and disabled actor and comedian Ash Self is a member of the National Youth Theatre, having completed their training course in 2017 and performed his first in-person stand-up gig in September 2021. Ash is determined to prove that disabled people can play all types of roles when given the right opportunities.
What's next for Ash?
In November, it was announced that Ash Self would be joining the cast for the second series of Netflix's hit drama Heartstopper, playing a character called Felix who is a new friend of Elle Argent, played by Yasmin Finney. And with filming having wrapped at the start of December, it's hopefully not long before new episodes drop on Netflix.
Aurie Styla
Who is Aurie?
With over a decade in the game, and four tour shows under his belt, Aurie Styla is one of the UK's best comedians and performed his first full run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2022 with Green, a show which I awarded a 5-star review and has been available to watch for free on his YouTube channel since the end of October.
To date, Aurie has already hosted The Scene on BBC Radio London, starred in British comedy On The Other Foot and appeared on a number of television shows including Jonathan Ross' Comedy Club, Don't Hate the Playaz and The Stand Up Sketch Show.
What's next for Aurie?
With Aurie making my list of 9 exciting newcomers to see at the 2022 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, it's only right that he made this list too as I predict a bright future for him when it comes to the small screen.
In November, it was announced that Aurie Styla will star in ITVX's new comedy impressions show Deep Fake: Neighbour Wars which launches on 26th January and uses Deep Fake technology to turn some of the UK's best new impressionists into the world's most famous celebrities. Only in this series, the celebs are ordinary people who happen to be embroiled in petty silly neighbour disputes.
Bel Priestley
Who is Bel?
With 1.2m followers on TikTok, 19-year-old content creator and actor Bel Priestley has gained her following by sharing her transition journey and documenting her experience with hormone therapy.
What's next for Bel?
In November, it was announced that Bel Priestley would be joining the cast for the second series of Netflix's hit drama Heartstopper, playing a character called Naomi who is a new friend of Elle Argent, played by Yasmin Finney. And with filming having wrapped at the start of December, it's hopefully not long before new episodes drop on Netflix.
Bridget Christie
Who is Bridget?
Comedian Bridget Christie has been performing at the Edinburgh Festival fringe since 2005 and in June 2022 finished runner-up to Ardal O'Hanlon in the 13th series of Taskmaster. And in 2017 she became the first British female stand-up to have a show on Netflix with Stand Up For Her which was filmed at Hoxton Hall in London
She has also played small roles in a number of television comedies including Puritan ghost Anna in Ghosts as well as various roles in sketch shows Anna & Katy, Cardinal Burns, It's Kevin and The Omid Djalili Show.
What's next for Bridget?
In March, it was announced that she is to write and star in The Change, a new comedy about Linda, a 50-year-old working-class married mother of two who is having an existential crisis. Convinced she’s got early onset dementia after forgetting what a shoe is called, Linda’s GP informs her it is, in fact, the menopause.
Feeling invigorated and empowered by this information, Linda decides to claw back some of the time she’s spent doing ‘invisible work’ over the years (not all 3.5 million minutes, just 131,500 of them) to do something for herself… for a change.
Déja J Bowens
Who is Déja?
Born and raised in London, actor Déja J Bowens graduated from drama school Mountview with a BA (Hons) in Performance, Acting. Between April and June 2022 she appeared on stage at Donmar Warehouse in Marys Seacole, a play about the pioneering Jamaican nurse who bravely voyaged to heal soldiers in the Crimean War.
What's next for Déja?
In July, it was announced that Déja will be making her TV debut as one of the leads in Candice Carty-Williams' first TV project, BBC One drama Champion which tells the explosive story of what happens when fame collides with family.
In Champion, Déja plays Vita, the dutiful younger sister of Rap sensation Bosco Champion who is ready to dominate the music industry once more. But when Vita's talent is discovered by Bosco’s rival, Bulla, she steps out of her brother's shadow to become a performer in her own right. A move which sets the Champion siblings against one another and tears apart the whole family in the process.
Eddie Kadi
Who is Eddie?
British-Congolese comedian Eddie Kadi is already recognised as one of the most globally celebrated stand-up personalities and has gathered a massive profile right across Africa, connecting with audiences through comedy, music, and travel.
Worldwide, Eddie has hosted the official red carpet show for BET International and BET Africa, the All African Music Awards as well as a number of festivals including AFRONATION and has also toured with Wizkid.
Since 2021 Eddie Kadi has hosted BBC Radio 1Xtra’s Official UK Afrobeats Chart Show and in that same year hosted The MOBO Awards. Since then Eddie has appeared as a guest on a number of television programmes including Celebrity Gogglebox, Don't Hate the Playaz, The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice, Mel Giedroyc: Unforgivable, Richard Osman's House of Games.
In both 2021 and 2022, Eddie Kadi was part of the line-up for Mo Gilligan's Black British Takeover at The O2. And in 2022 he took over from Judi Love to become team captain on ITV panel show Sorry, I Didn't Know.
What's next for Eddie?
In June, it was announced that Eddie Kadi will explore the high-end, glossy and exclusive side of Ghana for a new hour-long pilot for Channel 4, Crazy Rich… Ghanaians, in which Eddie will be joined by another famous comedian mate who’s a first-time visitor to Ghana. He'll take them and us behind the scenes of this high-end, mega-rich, uber-luxe side of Ghana, whilst also digging deep into the beauty of the country’s culture and history.
Eddie will be joined by another famous comedian mate who’s a first-time visitor to Ghana. He'll take them and us behind the scenes of this high-end, mega-rich, uber-luxe side of Ghana, whilst also digging deep into the beauty of the country’s culture and history.
Fatiha El-Ghorri
Who is Fatiha?
Comedian Fatiha El-Ghorri is Hackney born and raised and joined Off The Kerb in February 2022 who are one of the leading comedy agencies in the UK which also looks after the likes of Alan Carr, Joel Dommett, Jonathan Ross, Jo Brand, Judi Love, Michael McIntyre and Romesh Ranganathan.
Since making her TV debut on Jonathan Ross’ Comedy Club in 2020, Fatiha has gone on to appear on a number of television programmes including Big Zuu's Big Eats, Hypothetical, The Jonathan Ross Show, Outsiders, The Russell Howard Hour, The Stand Up Sketch Show and This is MY House and in February 2022 was a guest on Ed Gamble and James Acaster's Off Menu podcast.
She's known for tackling tough subjects like Islamophobia and dating, smashing Muslim stereotypes and challenging people to think about what they think they know about Islam, Muslims, and Muslim women especially.
What's next for Fatiha?
With Fatiha's next TV project yet to be announced, I can't imagine it'll be long before she appears on our screens once again.
In the meantime, Fatiha will be performing her first-ever work-in-progress show at the Leicester Comedy Festival on 10th February with further dates in and outside of London being announced soon.
GK Barry (Grace Keeling)
Who is Grace?
Like many of us, GK Barry, real name Grace Keeling, turned to TikTok in the first lockdown when she was a student and by August 2020 had grown her following to 100k, after a year she'd reached 1 million and currently has 2.9m followers on the platform and almost 200m likes.
In April 2022, Grace's popularity on TikTok led to her hosting her own podcast, Saving Grace, in which she walks listeners through her WILD life and has what she describes as an 'absolutely outrageous conversation' with a special guest. So far, guests have included Alison Hammond, Mimi Webb, Pete Wicks and a string of ex-Love Island contestants.
What's next for Grace?
Television can often be accused of being slow to react when it comes to championing and supporting new talent, which is why the name GK Barry probably means very little if anything to most broadcasters. But that will change!
If you tuned in to any of Ant & Dec's Instagram lives during the most recent series of I'm A Celeb then you'll have seen the name GK Barry dominate the comments whenever the geordie duo would ask who should go into the jungle next year.
So much so, that she was invited onto what became Jungle Club and admitted that she would love to do the show. So if anyone from I'm A Celeb is reading this, get her booked now!
Hamza Yassin
Who is Hamza?
Before being crowned Strictly Come Dancing champion in 2022, Hamza Yassin was already a familiar name thanks to his work as a wildlife cameraman on shows like Countryfile and Animal Park, and those with kids were likely to recognise him as Ranger Hamza in CBeebies' Let's Go for a Walk.
In 2021, he hosted Channel 4's Scotland: Escape to the Wilderness in which Hamza took celebs such as Martin Clunes and Ben Miller on an immersive exploration of Scotland's breathtaking landscapes, getting up close and personal with Scotland's most spectacular wildlife.
In that same year, he was also first introduced to This Morning viewers when he took viewers on a wildlife tour of Western Scotland which the programme recently repeated following Hamza's success on Strictly.
What's next for Hamza?
In a line-up that included the likes of Fleur East, Kaye Adams, Kym Marsh, Matt Goss, Will Mellor and others, Hamza was one of the lesser-known celebs to take part in last year's Strictly Come Dancing, but as we've seen in the past, the show can be a great platform for those celebs who have far more to give.
And that's exactly the way I feel about Hamza. I've no doubt that the way the public has warmed to him and his deserved rise to victory will lead to a lot more work for Hamza, I'd love to see him with his own primetime show where he's able to really show off his talents and knowledge.
In Hamza Yassin, I think we have found the most natural successor to Sir David Attenborough.
Harriet Rose
Who is Harriet?
Harriet Rose is a DJ and presenter across TV, radio and online, who since April 2022 has hosted her own show every Sunday at 1pm on KISSTORY and joined Jordan Banjo and Perri Kiely on the KISS FM Breakfast Show in September 2020 where she regularly interviews some of the biggest names in entertainment.
Sticking with the breakfast theme, Harriet joined Melvin Odoom as a roving reporter on The Big Breakfast when the show returned in August 2022.
A regular at events, Harriet has hosted red carpet coverage/backstage interviews for the likes of Gay Times, MTV (including the recent MTV EMAs in Düsseldorf), The Mercury Music Prize and currently co-hosts Heat's online series Under the Duvet with Chris Taylor.
And in 2021, as a proud part of the LGBTQ+ community, she teamed up with Gay Times to create and host the podcast Queer Me Out: Chasing Tales.
What's next for Harriet?
It's often said that television churns out the same presenters for each and every show, but if the likes of Joel Dommett, Maya Jama, Mo Gilligan and more have proved anything, it's that the pool is much wider than broadcasters would have you think.
With all this in mind and Harriet's natural talent in interviews and raport with talents, there's no reason why Harriet shouldn't be hosting her own show by the end of 2023.
Jordan Gray
Who is Jordan?
Actor, comedian and screenwriter Jordan Gray first appeared on our screens in 2016 as the first-ever transgender performer to take part in The Voice UK and in 2017 took the leap to stand-up comedy before taking part in ITV's 2018 documentary Transformation Street which followed the extraordinary transformations of those who believe they were born into the wrong body.
In 2020 Jordan created and starred in a series of online shorts for Comedy Central called Transaction which was about a transgender woman and her best friend, working in a supermarket.
Then in 2022, Jordan took Is It A Bird?, her second solo hour to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe which earnt her a Best Comedy Show nomination at Dave's Edinburgh Comedy Awards. This led to an appearance on Channel 4's one-off revival of Friday Night Live in October, in which Jordan stripped down completely naked live on air and played the keyboard with her penis.
This moment became the third biggest complaint of 2022 after over 1,500 people complained to OFCOM who later revealed that they will not be taking the matter any further.
Also in 2022, Jordan starred alongside Spencer Jones in the second series of The Mind of Herbert Clunkerdunk and appeared on a number of TV shows including Joe Lycett's Got Your Back and The Russell Howard Hour. She also followed her run at the Edinburgh Fringe with a run at London's Soho Theatre and made history as the first transgender person to ever headline the London Palladium.
What's next for Jordan?
In August, it was revealed that Jordan's series of shorts for Comedy Central, Transaction about a transgender woman and her best friend, working in a supermarket has been picked up by ITV for a full series with Nick Frost starring alongside Jordan as her boss.
She is also one of the writers on ITVX's new comedy impressions show Deep Fake: Neighbour Wars which launches on 26th January and uses Deep Fake technology to turn some of the UK's best new impressionists into the world's most famous celebrities.
And in a recent tweet, Jordan listed all her achievements from 2022 and teased that she would be "off around the world in 2023".
Josh Jones
Who is Josh?
In 2019, Manchester-born-and-bred comedian Josh Jones was part of Pleasance Comedy Reserve at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe before debuting his first hour Waste of Space at the festival in 2022, which I awarded a 4-star review and earnt him a Best Newcomer nomination at Dave's Edinburgh Comedy Awards.
Prior to Edinburgh, Josh supported Kiri-Pritchard-McLean, Rob Beckett, Russell Kane and Suzi Ruffell on tour and appeared on a number of television shows including Jonathan Ross’ Comedy Club, CelebAbility, Late Night Mash and Dating No Filter.
Since Edinburgh, he appeared on 8 Out of 10 Cats does Countdown and has been invited onto The Jonathan Ross Show as a guest to discuss his podcast with fellow comedian Darren Harriott, Hard Sell and also hosts his own historical gossip podcast Dead Drama, and the Chatting with Cherubs podcast with Morgan Rees.
What's next for Josh?
With Josh making my list of 9 exciting newcomers to see at the 2022 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, it's only right that he made this list too as he's already beginning to make a name for himsefl when it comes to the small screen.
Ttose lucky enough to have seen Josh live will know that he's a brilliant vivid storyteller, which immediately lends itself to a comedy script for television. When I interviewed him in 2022, he described hositing his own history documentary as the big dream. So watch this space!
Josh Pugh
Who is Josh?
In 2016, comedian and actor Josh Pugh beat off stiff competition to win English Comedian of the Year. Since then he has been partial to a viral video or two - such as trying to organise a Piss up in a Brewery and took his first solo hour to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2017.
In 2022, Josh took his fourth solo show, Sausage, Egg, Josh Pugh Chips & Beans to the Fringe, which earnt him a Best Comedy Show nomination at Dave's Edinburgh Comedy Awards.
Elsewhere, Josh has appeared on Mock the Week as well as a number of Dave shows including comedy Sneakerhead as well as Hypothetical, Live at the MOTH Club, Mel Giedroyc: Unforgivable, Question Team and Rosie Jones's Disability Comedy Extravaganza.
He has also written for a number of shows including for The Emily Atack Show, The Island and Never Mind the Buzzcocks.
What's next for Josh?
As well as touring Sausage, Egg, Josh Pugh Chips & Beans this year, Josh Pugh has written on ITVX's new comedy impressions show Deep Fake: Neighbour Wars which launches on 26th January and uses Deep Fake technology to turn some of the UK's best new impressionists into the world's most famous celebrities.
With multiple television appearances, a Best Comedy Show nomination and a growing CV, I sense a bright 12 months ahead for Josh.
Lauren Layfield
Who is Lauren?
Like so many TV and radio presenters, Lauren Layfield started out on children's television, landing a job on CBBC in 2014, including All Over the Place, The Dengineers and following Iain Stirling's departure from the show in 2019, Lauren was announced as the new host of CBBC panel show The Dog Ate My Homework and hosted the first series of Hollyoaks podcast Don't Filter Feelings.
In 2021, for International Women's Day, Lauren hosted a Newsround special for CBBC called Let's Talk About Periods, which aimed to bust the taboo around periods and encourage more honest and open conversations around the topic.
In 2022 she became a regular reporter for The One Show on BBC One, covering a range of topical, current affairs stories but also becoming the go-to-girl for female-centric issues including spiking, backstreet Botox and cyberflashing.
In April 2022, an unearthed clip from CBBC did the rounds on social media and went viral showing presenter Lauren Layfield unable to stop herself laughing when puppet Hacker T Dog looked her in the eyes and said "We're just normal men".
Lauren currently hosts Capital FM’s Early Breakfast Show and regularly fills in as host of The Capital Breakfast Show when Roman Kemp is away and has hosted coverage of the station's annual Jingle Bell Ball. She has also taken part in Celebrity Mastermind and more recently, The Weakest Link.
She has also hosted for BBC One’s Match of the Day and its youth-orientation spin-off MOTDx on BBC Two. And in December 2022, Lauren co-hosted The Junior Eurovision Song Contest with HRVY for CBBC and BBC One.
What's next for Lauren?
Lauren is fast becoming one of the most exciting new presenters to break through from children's television, which you ask the likes of Ant & Dec, Holly Willoughby and Stephen Mulhern can be very lucrative indeed.
With more regularity on The One Show and increased prominence on Capital FM, I predict big things for Lauren in both mediums. Instead of going for the same tried and tested presenters, I'd love to see a broadcaster fully support Lauren with her own vehicle in 2023. After all, she's got the experience and talent to warrant it.
Away from television, 2023 will see Lauren release her first teen novel.
Lauryn Ajufo
Who is Lauryn?
After studying Musical Theatre at The BRIT School, actor Lauryn Ajufo joined the Youth Theatre at the Theatre Royal Stratford East, won a Monologue Slam competition, signed with an agent and soon landed a role in short film turned feature film and soon-to-be TV series, Boling Point, starring alongside Stephen Graham and Vinette Robinson in the one-shot film about a head chef of a restaurant kitchen on the busiest day of year.
Lauryn's exceptional performance as young Black waitress called Andrea, who had to serve an obnoxious, racist customer, saw her nominated for Breakthrough Performance at the 2021 British Independent Film Awards.
In December 2022, Lauryn played Neve in new ITVX drama Tell Me Everything about growing up in smalltown Britain in the 2020s, who has always been treated like one of the boys and as a result, has never really felt the need for girl friends but starting out at sixth form college, she bonds with Regan and starts to see the value in female friendship.
What's next for Lauryn?
Lauryn Ajufo will next be seen on our screens in Ripley Parker's new Netflix drama The Fuck It Bucket which follows 17-year-old Mia, played by Sophie Wilde, who is released from hospital after a lengthy battle with anorexia nervosa and decides the only way to catch up on a childhood that is racing by without her is to make a bucket list.
She's also set to star in the new Luther: The Fallen Sun on Netflix in March and with a TV series follow-up to Boiling Point coming to BBC One in 2023, picking up 6 months after the film, I'd love to see more of Lauryn's phenomenal performance as Andrea. It's not yet known other than Stephen Graham, Vinette Robinson and Hannah Walters which original cast members will return.
Lucia Keskin
Who is Lucia?
Comedy writer and performer Lucia Keskin, is best known as her social media handle Chi with a C, and has seen a number of her brilliantly observed and genius comedy sketches go viral online since 2018.
For example, she recreated an entire Friends episode in 18 minutes, for - in her words - no reason, has parodied Gavin & Stacey, Modern Family, Motherland, Line of Duty, Selling Sunset and many many more hit shows. At the start of 2021 during the lockdown, her parody of British sitcoms if they were set during the pandemic was watched by almost 2m people on Twitter alone.
Since then, her popularity has seen her work with the very writers and producers she parodied and in 2021, wrote on The Emily Atack Show and in 2022, starred in three new television comedies, Big Boys, Live at the MOTH Club and Sneakerhead.
What's next for Lucia?
With Big Boys confirmed to be returning for a second series on Channel 4, I'd love to see Kelly return and I've no doubt that we'll be seeing more of Lucia on our screens in 2023 as one of television comedy's biggest fans continues to enter the very world she loves for herself.
Oliver Savell
Who is Oliver?
Child actor Oliver Savell played Ronnie Boyd in Keneth Branagh's Belfast and was recently seen in the Elf inspired Christmas advert for ASDA!
What's next for Oliver?
In November, it was announced that the nationwidw search to find a young actor to play a young Alan Carr in a sitcom based on the comedian's life growing up in Northampton, had come to an end.
In a video posted on social media, Alan Carr said that after receiving over 500 audition tapes, "one boy really stood out" and that was Oliver Savell. He'll now star as Young Alan alongside Alan as Present Day Alan when the comedy, Changing Ends airs on ITV1.
Rochelle Neil
Who is Rochelle?
Actor Rochelle Neil trained at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts and has already starred in a number of TV shows including Doctors, Episodes, Das Boot and Guilt and is best known for playing Annie Carbey in The Nevers, a Touched woman whose turn allows her to create and manipulate fire.
What's next for Rochelle?
In November, it was announced that Rochelle would be one of three leads in Sir Lenny Henry's new drama for ITVX, Three Little Birds, which is set in post-Windrush 1957 and inspired by his mother’s stories about leaving Jamaica in the 1950s for Great Britain, which became her lifelong home and where she raised her family.
Amidst the booming decade set alight by promise, the rhythm of rock and roll, swing, Hollywood starlets and fabulous fashion Three Little Birds will introduce Dudley and the rest of the world to gregarious sisters Chantrelle and Leah, who Rochelle Neil plays and Hosana, their virtuous, bible-loving acquaintance, as they board a cruise ship from Jamaica bound for a new life in Blighty.
When announced, Rochelle talked of how "Leah feels like a love letter to my grandmothers. A chance to explore the lives of the women that led to me being here and who I am today. I know they both would have been absolutely thrilled, as am I."
Saffron Coomber
Who is Saffron?
Actor Saffron Coomber trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and is best known for playing Sapphire Fox in Tracy Beaker Returns on CBBC between 2010 and 2012, before playing her again in 2015 in The Dumping Ground Dish Up.
She has already starred in a number of TV shows including The Bill, Cuffs, Doctors, Flack, Strike and Youngers as well as EastEnders where she played a former friend of Lola's and Small Axe where she played Grace in Lover's Rock.
What's next for Saffron?
In November, it was announced that Saffron would be one of three leads in Sir Lenny Henry's new drama for ITVX, Three Little Birds, which is set in post-Windrush 1957 and inspired by his mother’s stories about leaving Jamaica in the 1950s for Great Britain, which became her lifelong home and where she raised her family.
Amidst the booming decade set alight by promise, the rhythm of rock and roll, swing, Hollywood starlets and fabulous fashion Three Little Birds will introduce Dudley and the rest of the world to gregarious sisters Leah and Chantrelle, who Saffron Coomber plays and Hosana, their virtuous, bible-loving acquaintance, as they board a cruise ship from Jamaica bound for a new life in Blighty.
When announced, Saffron described Chantrelle as" the kind of character I’d only hoped I’d get to play one day", calling it " an honour to tell an overlooked story of British history that is so close not only to my family but to so many, notwithstanding working with Lenny whom has been a legend in my home since I can remember."
Tyler West
Who is Tyler?
Before being partnered with Dianne Buswell on Strictly Come Dancing in 2022, DJ and presenter Tyler West was best known for hosting on KISS FM and being given the drive-time show just 6 months after joining the station in an evening slot in 2019.
Tyler started presenting in 2012 and has since presented on Friday Download, MOTD Kickabout, Kickabout+ and Blue Peter, all for CBBC.
In 2018 he joined the MTV News team hosting their weekly news download and became one of the leading presenters on the LEGO YouTube channel and also hosted the award-winning trivia app HQ Trivia. Elsewhere, he co-hosted Flat Out Fabulous on BBC Three and developed his own podcast, Every Day Hustle.
What's next for Tyler?
Similarly to eventual winner Hamza Yassin (also on this list), Tyler West was one of the lesser-known celebs to take part in last year's Strictly Come Dancing, but often they're the ones who come away from the show with new opportunities that are bound to elevate their career to the next level.
And with Tyler doing a stint on ITV1's Lorraine presenting their entertainment news roundup just before Christmas, it's clear that mainstream television is keen to try him out in various roles across their schedule. One thing is for sure though, expect to see a lot more of him on our screens over the next 12 months.
Verona Rose
Who is Verona?
Comedian, actor and presenter Verona Rose is has already appeared as a guest on a number of hit TV shows including Celebrity Juice, Dating No Filter, Don't Hate The Playaz, Hey Tracey!, Sorry, I Didn't Know and is the host of ITV2's dating show Secret Crush.
And as an actor, Verona has starred in a number of dramas including Doctors, EastEnders, Hustle and Top Boy as well as comedies The Emily Atack Show and Sneakerhead.
What's next for Verona?
Whilst Verona Rose is already no stranger to our screens, I feel her breakthrough gig, be it presenting or acting, is just around the corner and likely to happen in 2023.
Yazmin Belo
Who is Yazmin?
Aged 16, actor Yazmin Belo attended The BRIT School where she trained in Musical Theatre before graduating with first-class honours in Acting in 2020 at the Southbank Centre University.
On stage, Yazmin has been involved in productions with the likes of TALAWA Theatre Company, Ovalhouse Theatre, Battersea Arts Centre and Brighton Fringe.
What's next for Yazmin?
In November, it was announced that Yazmin would be one of three leads in Sir Lenny Henry's new drama for ITVX, Three Little Birds, which is set in post-Windrush 1957 and inspired by his mother’s stories about leaving Jamaica in the 1950s for Great Britain, which became her lifelong home and where she raised her family.
Amidst the booming decade set alight by promise, the rhythm of rock and roll, swing, Hollywood starlets and fabulous fashion Three Little Birds will introduce Dudley and the rest of the world to gregarious sisters Leah and Chantrelle and Yazmin Belo's character, Hosana, their virtuous, bible-loving acquaintance, as they board a cruise ship from Jamaica bound for a new life in Blighty.
When announced, Yazmin described the drama as "a truthful depiction and great homage to my direct lineage" and talked about the honour she felt being able to help tell this story.
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