Hamza Yassin believes his dyslexia was the secret weapon to winning Strictly
Wildlife cameraman and presenter Hamza Yassin – who has dyslexia – was crowned winner of Strictly Come Dancing 2022. He believes his learning difference is a unique “gift” and could have been his secret weapon in lifting the glitterball trophy.
What Hamza Yassin’s Strictly Win Revealed About Dyslexia
When Hamza Yassin lifted the Glitterball Trophy in December 2022, most of the attention went to his warmth, his timing and the fact that a wildlife cameraman had just won one of the biggest entertainment shows on British television. But there was another reason the moment landed so strongly. Millions of viewers were watching a dyslexic man take on an intense, technical competition and make it look joyful.
That matters because dyslexia is still widely misunderstood. People often reduce it to reading, spelling and classroom struggles, when the reality is much broader than that. Learning dance routines on Strictly meant taking in instructions at speed, remembering sequences, counting steps and repeating them under pressure. For someone who processes information differently, that can bring extra barriers. Hamza spoke openly about using his own methods to remember routines, drawing on visual memory and the kind of careful observation that has shaped his work in wildlife filmmaking.
His time on Strictly gave people a rare chance to see dyslexia in a fuller, more realistic way. Not as a neat story about “overcoming” something, but as part of how a person thinks, works and responds to the world around them. The same qualities that help Hamza in the field — noticing patterns, reading his surroundings and staying steady in unpredictable situations — also helped him on the dancefloor.
There is a bigger picture here too. Dyslexia affects a significant number of people across the UK, yet many still go through school, work and adult life without proper recognition or support. Plenty of viewers watching Hamza win will have known exactly what that feels like. They may have spent years being treated as though they were not trying hard enough, when the real issue was that the world around them was not set up for the way they learn.
What made Hamza’s story especially powerful was that his talent came first. He was already respected because he is brilliant at what he does. The conversation about dyslexia added depth to that public image rather than defining it. That changes how people respond. Instead of seeing dyslexia as a limit, they were watching it sit alongside skill, confidence and success in plain view.
Who is Hamza Yassin?
Hamza Yassin is a 36-year-old wildlife cameraman and television presenter, born in Sudan on 22 February 1990. He moved to the UK aged eight and went on to study Zoology with Conservation at Bangor University, followed by a Masters in Biological Photography and Imaging at the University of Nottingham.
He is best known for his role as Ranger Hamza on CBeebies, and his work on shows including Countryfile and Animal Park, as well as several programmes celebrating Scottish wildlife. He lives in Kilchoan, the most westerly village on the British mainland, on the Ardnamurchan peninsula in the Scottish Highlands, which gives you a good sense of how seriously he takes his connection to the natural world.
In December 2022, he won the twentieth series of Strictly Come Dancing alongside professional partner Jowita Przystał — famously winning despite finishing bottom of the leaderboard in the final. Since then his television career has continued to grow: in 2023 he presented Hamza: Strictly Birds of Prey, and in late 2025 he returned to BBC One with Hamza’s Hidden Wild Isles, a four-part series tracking seasonal wildlife spectacles across the UK, co-produced with the National Trust.
Hamza Yassin Living with Dyslexia
Hamza was diagnosed with dyslexia as a teenager and he believes his learning difference is a unique “gift” that may have helped him win Strictly.
He reckons being dyslexic gave him a photographic memory, helping him remember the tricky steps during training sessions with his professional dance partner Jowita Przystał.
According to the Mirror, Hamza said: “I think in 3D, I think in pictures, I have a photographic memory and that is all due to my dyslexia… I truly believe my dyslexia is my gift and I am the man I am now because of it.”
He added: “If I can connect with one struggling kid who thinks he or she is not going to be anybody, if that kid can say, look at Hamza, he has dyslexia but he is living his dream, I’d be happy.”
Dyslexia is a common learning difference that mainly causes problems with reading, writing and spelling. It’s estimated up to 1 in every 10 people worldwide has some degree of dyslexia.
How Many People Have Dyslexia?
Dyslexia is far more common than many people realise. The figure most often quoted is around one in 10 people, but some research suggests the true number could sit anywhere between 5% and 15%, with some estimates going higher.
That range tells its own story. Dyslexia is not always identified early, and plenty of people reach adulthood without ever getting a formal diagnosis.
That is partly because dyslexia does not look the same in everyone. Some people experience severe barriers with reading, writing and processing written information, while others have milder forms and build coping strategies that can mask the difficulty for years.
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Around 4% of people are thought to have severe dyslexia, but many more may be managing unsupported without fully understanding why certain tasks have always been harder for them.
It is also important to be clear about what dyslexia is not. It is not a sign of low intelligence, poor effort or a lack of ability. Dyslexia is a neurobiological learning difficulty that affects how people process language and information. Many dyslexic people are highly skilled, creative and analytical, with strengths in areas such as design, problem-solving, engineering, storytelling and visual thinking.
The statistics vary depending on the organisation, country and language being studied. The British Dyslexia Association commonly uses the estimate of 10%, while other bodies have suggested higher figures. Some research centres have put prevalence at closer to one in five people, while other medical sources suggest a lower global estimate. Studies have also found that prevalence can appear different across languages, with writing systems and educational contexts shaping how dyslexia is recognised and measured.
What matters most is not landing on one perfect number. It is recognising that dyslexia is widespread, lifelong and still too often misunderstood. With early identification, the right support and fewer barriers in education and work, dyslexic people can thrive on their own terms.
Many other celebrities such as Shaun Ryder, Holly Willoughby and Tom Cruise are known to live with the condition too and have gone on to have successful careers in the entertainment industry.
Hamza Yassin on His Strictly Come Dancing Journey
Hamza Yassin competed in the 20th series of Strictly Come Dancing and was crowned winner alongside his professional dance partner Jowita Przystał on Saturday 17th December 2022.
From week four, Hamza’s scores didn’t dip below 30 points. He racked up 24 10s, just two less than finalists Fleur and Vito, and topped the leaderboard five times over the series.
He remained a firm favourite throughout the series, never having to face the dance off.
Overall, he performed better with his ballroom dances, getting an average score of 34.75 ahead of the final, the highest score of any of the finalists.
The couple gave it their all in the final, starting off the night with their Judges’ Pick, an action-packed Salsa to Ecuador by Sash!, which got the same score as when they first performed it — 39.
They then performed a sophisticated Ballroom-inspired Show Dance to Let’s Face The Music and Dance by Irving Berlin. The judges were less complimentary about this dance, pointing out a couple of mistakes Hamza made. He scored 34, the lowest score of the night.
They then finished up with their favourite dance of the series, an amazing Afrobeats Couple’s Choice routine to Jerusalema – Remix by Master KG ft. Burna Boy and Nomcebo Zikode. Having scored 38 the first time, they were elated to receive a perfect 40 for it in the final — their first of the series.
When they were announced as winners, Hamza said: “Words can’t describe how I feel. I want to thank one person in particular, Jowita — you are an angel disguised as a human being. You are amazing. Thank you to everyone out there for voting for us. This is the best thing that’s ever happened to me!”
Jowita also had some lovely words, adding: “Just so you know, anything is possible. Anything is possible and he [Hamza] is just the proof that anything is possible, and he came here on the show with no dancing experience. With pigeon toes and he made it!”
She added: “He worked hard and he made it. I’m so proud of you and I would love to thank everybody, and to all of you guys [fellow Finalists], because you are amazing.”
Hamza and Jowita’s routines were a huge hit with the judges and audience at home alike, earning them the coveted title of Strictly 2022 champions! It is a huge achievement for both dance novice Hamza and pro dancer Jowita, who took home the trophy in her first year with a partner, having joined the Strictly family in 2021.
Other Disability Representation on Strictly Come Dancing
As most Strictly fans and regular readers of Disability Horizons should already know, Hamza is not the first disabled person to appear or win the dancing show.
Since 2017, Strictly has featured a wide range of contestants and professional dancers with impairments and health conditions, making it one of the most inclusive TV programmes in the UK.
In this series, Hamza competed against former Paralympic swimmer Ellie Simmonds, who has a form of dwarfism.
In 2021, deaf actor Rose Ayling-Ellis won the show and inspired more people to learn sign language.
Other disabled celebrities who have taken part in previous series of Strictly include Jonnie Peacock, Lauren Steadman, Katie Piper, Will Bayley and JJ Chalmers.
There are also two professional dancers who have opened up about their health conditions.
In 2020, Amy Dowden shared her diagnosis of Crohn’s disease and broadcast a documentary — Strictly Amy: Crohn’s and Me — about living with the condition.
Also, in November 2022, pro dancer Nikita Kuzmin opened up about his diabetes diagnosis as a teenager and how it worried him for his future as a dancer. The Ukrainian dancer appeared on BBC’s Morning Live and spoke about his upbringing and how his health condition affected his prospects.
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