Who is Rio Ferdinand’s brother Anton and when will he be on Dancing on Ice 2025?
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Ex-footballer Anton Ferdinand is getting ready to trade his boots for skates as he joins the 2025 lineup of Dancing on Ice. The pundit will be gliding alongside an EastEnders legend and Olympic gold medal winner in the line-up. Here’s what we know about him.
![[Anton Ferdinand is partnering up with Anette Dytrt for Dancing on Ice 2025]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/WI_Dancing_On_Ice_2025___Photocall_2192978378jpg-JS962407372.jpg?strip=all&w=667)
Anton Ferdinand is a former professional footballer best known for playing centre-back at the likes of West Ham, Sunderland and Queens Park Rangers. Born on February 18, 1985, in Peckham, his parents, Janice Lavender and Julian Ferdinand, hail from Ireland and St. Lucia.
![[Anton is hoping to inspire his daughter by taking part in Dancing on Ice]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Anton_Ferdinand_family_Insta_3jpg-JS937790896.jpg?strip=all&w=587)
A product of the West Ham United academy, Anton joined the club at nine years old and signed his first professional contract in 2002. Over his career, he also played for clubs like Bursaspor, Antalyaspor, Reading, and Southend United. He represented England at the under-21 level on the international stage before retiring in July 2019.
![[Rio Ferdinand is the older brother of Anton Ferdinand]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/GettyImages-72840684jpg-JS519421315.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
Post-retirement, Anton has become a familiar face in sports media, appearing on talkSPORT, Sky Sports, BT Sport, and IMG. He also fronted the BBC One documentary Anton Ferdinand: Football, Racism, and Me. His time at QPR saw him caught in a high-profile controversy involving alleged racist abuse from Chelsea’s John Terry, a claim Terry denied and was later cleared of in court.
Speaking about his documentary, Anton said: "I know some people don’t like the fact players and coaches take the knee but for me that’s a positive because it keeps the conversation going. "We won’t have eradicated racism — not in our lifetime, I don’t think.
