Five new professional dancers are joining the popular show Strictly Come Dancing when it returns in September.
On Saturday, the team announced five new players through a social media post. This came after several experienced players were let go earlier in the year.
This fall, Aleksandra Isaeva, Cristian Priori, Lethabo Monametsi, Maddie Ingoldsby, and Mark Karmalita will be appearing on Strictly for the first time.
The show recently received a major makeover, swapping out its original hosts, Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, for a new team led by Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe, and Johannes Radebe.
We now know eight of the celebrities who will be competing this year – so far, that includes Will Best, Jaime Winstone, and Delta Goodrem.
The professional dancers joining the show this year include returning favorites Alexis Warr, Aljaž Škorjanec, Amy Dowden, Carlos Gu, Dianne Buswell, Jowita Przystal, Julian Caillon, Kai Widdrington, Katya Jones, Lauren Oakley, Nancy Xu, Neil Jones, Nikita Kuzmin, and Vito Coppola, along with some exciting new faces.
Aleksandra Isaeva is a highly-ranked Latin dancer, currently among the top 21 globally. Born in Ukraine and raised in Italy, she’s achieved impressive results including top ten finishes at major competitions like the European Latin Championships in Blackpool and the Dutch Open World Latin Dance Competition.
I’ve loved dancing my whole life, so it’s a real honor to be part of the Strictly Come Dancing team, she explained.
Just thinking about learning from and sharing this experience with the incredibly talented dancers, choreographers, and everyone involved with Strictly still excites me deeply.
I’m so excited to give it my all in every show, connect with people, and learn from them too!
Aleksandra will join Strictly with her dance partner Cristian Priori.
Cristian started dancing very early in life, growing up in Rome. He quickly found success, winning the Junior Italian 10-Dance Championship. He continued to excel internationally, reaching the finals as a Rising Star at both the UK Open and Dutch Open dance competitions.
Cristian explained that joining Strictly Come Dancing felt natural because he’s always loved dancing as a form of self-expression, and he’s thrilled to start this next adventure.
I’m excited to fully commit myself to this incredible experience and appreciate every second of it. Being on Strictly is special because it combines dedication, effort, and fun – I feel lucky to be involved.
Lethabo Monametsi, a South African dancer who hasn’t lost a competition, discovered her passion for Latin dance while watching the local version of ‘Strictly Come Dancing’.
She’s no newcomer to TV, having previously won the dance competition ‘Dance Yo Dumo’ with the group Urban Wave. She’s also performed as a dancer on ‘The Masked Singer SA’.
This isn’t just about me; it’s a huge moment, and I’m incredibly thankful and humbled to be here. It’s the result of years of love, faith, and support from people who believed in my dreams as much as I did.
Being able to represent South Africa on Strictly Come Dancing isn’t just a huge step in my career – it’s a tremendous honour, and I’m so excited to experience every incredible moment of this adventure.
Maddie Ingoldsby, from Bournemouth in the UK, is a highly accomplished ballroom dancer. She’s a UK National Ballroom Champion and has won the Amateur 10-Dance World Championship eight times. Earlier in her career, she also earned titles as World Rising Star and Under 21 World Ballroom Champion.
Maddie started performing at a young age, playing Annie in London’s West End and appearing on the show Strictly: It Takes Two. She later performed in a group dance number on the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special.
Oh my gosh, you guys, it’s actually happening! She said becoming a pro on Strictly is literally a dream come true for her – can you believe it?! She’s just overflowing with happiness and can’t wait to start this amazing new part of her life. I’m seriously SO thrilled for her; it feels like everything she’s worked for is finally paying off!
I’ve always felt most like myself when I’m dancing, so it’s a huge honor to share my passion and creativity on a show that’s inspired so many people. I’m truly speechless.
Mark Karmalita is a Canadian Latin dance champion, having won the national title twice. He’s also consistently placed highly in Canadian championships at various age levels, including winning and reaching the finals.
He expressed how thrilled he is to be joining Strictly, calling it a real honor to dance in a ballroom with such a rich and emotional legacy.
I’m really excited to share my personality, build a connection with viewers, and have fun doing it.
According to Sarah James, Executive Producer at BBC Studios, Aleksandra, Cristian, Lethabo, Maddie, and Mark are exceptionally talented dancers. She says they’re all set to impress on ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ when the show begins this September.
BBC Entertainment’s Jo Wallace shares her excitement about welcoming new talent – Aleksandra, Cristian, Lethabo, Maddie, and Mark – to the team.
The new season of Strictly is already looking fantastic, and now there are five more reasons to be excited!
Several professional dancers – Nadiya Bychkova, Karen Hauer (44), Michelle Tsiakkas (30), Luba Mushtuk (36), and Gorka Marquez (35) – have recently left the show.
As a longtime fan, it’s really disappointing to see the show prioritize contestants with large social media followings – especially on TikTok – over genuinely talented dancers. It feels like they’re bending over backwards to appeal to a younger audience, and some incredible performers are getting overlooked because of it.
As a lifestyle expert, I’m always keeping an eye on what’s happening with popular personalities! It’s interesting to see how things shake out – for example, Nadiya Bychkova, who has a good following of around 19,000 people, sadly didn’t make the cut this time. But Dianne Buswell, with a much larger fanbase of over 966,000 followers, is still going strong.
Karen Hauer, a long-time professional dancer on Strictly, has a following of 9,000. In contrast, newcomer Alexis Warr already boasts a much larger following of 190,000.
According to a source, ‘Strictly’ is constantly trying to grow its viewership, both by reaching more people overall and by appealing to a younger audience.
Social media helps shows reach wider audiences, and TikTok is ideal for a program centered around music and dance.
Being popular on TikTok isn’t essential for staying on the team, but it could be what helps someone keep their spot.
Fleur East and Janette Manrara have also left Strictly Come Dancing’s It Takes Two.
Okay, so I’m hearing from people within the industry that there’s a big shake-up planned for the BBC Two evening program. It seems like recent controversies have really prompted them to rethink things and give the show a fresh start. They’re looking at some major changes to get it back on track.
Janette, who used to be a professional dancer on Strictly, became a host in 2021 after being on the show for eight years. Pop singer Fleur joined the cast in 2023, following a successful run to the final in 2022.
But now both stars are said to be in the firing line as executives push for a bold new direction.
As a long-time viewer, I’m honestly shocked to see how dramatic things are still getting, but apparently the people in charge are planning a total shake-up of the show. A source told me they’re determined to completely change things up, even if it means more intense moments.
Honestly, it feels like everything’s been so chaotic lately, and everyone’s just… on edge. But I’m hearing whispers, seeing little hints that things are finally going to change. People are working hard behind the scenes, it seems, to start a new chapter, a fresh start. I’m so desperate for things to feel good again, and I really think this could be it!
The main goal is to start fresh by September and move the show forward, leaving behind the issues it’s faced recently.
Strictly Come Dancing has faced several controversies recently, with accusations ranging from drug use to unprofessional and harmful conduct by its professional dancers towards the celebrities competing.
Both professional dancers Giovanni Pernice and Graziano di Prima have departed the show. Graziano’s exit followed accusations that he stepped on his dance partner, Zara McDermott.
The BBC looked into claims that Giovanni Pernice bullied his former dance partner, Amanda Abbington. Some of those claims were found to be true.
There’s absolutely no indication that any of the new professional dancers joining Strictly Come Dancing after Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman left have done anything wrong.
2026-07-25 13:06