Holly Warden became the first British NFL cheerleader in 2016 when she joined the Miami Dolphins and even starred in a James Bond movie with her talents
Abbie Meehan Sports Writer U-35s
13:00, 19 Oct 2025
The Miami Dolphins cheerleader Holly Warden during the NFL game between the Miami Dolphins and the New Orleans Saints at Wembley Stadium on October 1, 2017 in London, England.
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Holly Warden performed all over the USA and even appeared in a James Bond flick(Image: Henry Browne/Getty Images)
Holly Warden made history in 2016 as Britain's first NFL cheerleader when she joined the Miami Dolphins. She likened her dream role to "being in the army."
Cheerleading plays a crucial part in the NFL match day atmosphere and also provides entertainment to local communities across each region. Warden was part of the Dolphins' squad from 2016 to 2019, performing at Wembley when the Miami team visited in 2017.
She also had a part as a dancer in the 2015 James Bond movie Spectre. Warden, who currently works as a social media manager for a luxury travel company, revealed the gruelling details about her time in the position in 2017.
The former cheerleader from Congresbury, Somerset, said: "It's incredibly tough, just like a being in the Army. This is our basic training. Practise normally lasts three hours and we do it three to four times a week.
"Before boot camp we have to run two miles in under 18 minutes after circuit training with press-ups and sit-ups, sprints and agility tests. It's kind of a competition.
"If you can't do the fitness things you won't be able to get through a game."
The training sessions featured sprints, bear crawls, high kicks, dance sequences and sit-ups, which Warden managed thanks to her approach to the sport.
She added: "Cheerleading is about physical and mental strength as well as agility and athleticism."
Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders perform during the NFL match between the Miami Dolphins and the New Orleans Saints at Wembley Stadium on October 1, 2017 in London, United Kingdom.
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Warden performed with the Dolphins cheerleading squad at Wembley in 2017(Image: Mitchell Gunn/Getty Images)
"We are truly ambassadors of the Miami Dolphins, not only cheering at the games, but also active in our community visiting schools and hospitals, and bringing spirit to our military troops abroad."
Warden credits her late mum Judy, who died from pancreatic cancer at 55, as one of her inspirations for realising her dream in the NFL.
Speaking about growing up in Somerset, she said: "Congresbury is a tiny village and I loved it. I was always playing outside, really happy.
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"I started doing two dance lessons a week when I was 10 and by 12 or 13 I was doing six lessons a week. It was hard, I don't come from a wealthy family. But even as a child I had a desire to grow and develop myself. My mum saw that in me."
Warden fended off 800 other hopefuls during regional try outs to earn her spot on the Dolphins cheerleading squad.
She dedicated three years to performing before packed stadiums throughout the USA and in the UK, before leaving the role in 2019 to pursue a career in social media.