New Strictly professionals to be introduced with cinematic dance routine

The addition of four new professional dancers for the show’s 20th series was announced in July.
The four new Strictly professional dancers with some of the show’s existing cast (Robin Lee-Perrella/BBC/PA)
Connie Evans3 September 2022
The Weekender

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The four new Strictly Come Dancing professional dancers will be introduced to viewers in a cinematic dance routine filmed alongside the returning Strictly cast.

The new dancers completing this year’s 20-strong professional line-up are European cup winner Vito Coppola, Chinese national champion Carlos Gu, former Under-21 British national champion Lauren Oakley and Latin dance champion Michelle Tsiakkas.

The routine will form part of the Strictly Come Dancing launch show airing on BBC One on September 17.

New Strictly professional Carlos Gu with Jowita Przystal (Robin Lee-Perrella/BBC/PA)

Coppola, Gu, Oakley and Tsiakkas will join returning professionals Dianne Buswell, Nadiya Bychkova, Graziano Di Prima, Amy Dowden, Karen Hauer, Katya Jones, Neil Jones, Nikita Kuzmin, Cameron Lombard, Gorka Marquez, Luba Mushtuk, Giovanni Pernice, Jowita Przystal, Johannes Radebe, Kai Widdrington and Nancy Xu.

With the addition of the four new dancers, the 20th series of the celebrity dancing competition will have the show’s largest ever professional dancer line-up.

Fifteen celebrities will be joining them on the dancefloor, including TV and radio presenter Helen Skelton, former EastEnders actor James Bye and wildlife cameraman and presenter Hamza Yassin.

The four new Strictly Come Dancing pros will be introduced to viewers with a cinematic dance routine shown on the launch night of the 20th series (Robin Lee-Perrella/BBC/PA)

The X Factor star Fleur East, former England football captain Tony Adams, Britain’s Got Talent finalist Molly Rainford, and Ted Lasso actress and comedian Ellie Taylor are all also putting their best foot forward on the dance floor of the BBC One competition.

Completing this year’s celebrity line-up is singer Matt Goss, Kiss radio host Tyler West, Paralympic swimming gold medallist Ellie Simmonds, comedian and actress Jayde Adams, actor Will Mellor, Loose Women star Kaye Adams, actress Kym Marsh and TV and radio personality Richie Anderson.

Michelle Tsiakkas joins the hit BBC One dance competition as a professional (Robin Lee-Perrella/BBC/PA)

The identity of who each of the contestants will be partnered with for the new series is still unknown.

Last year’s competition was won by actress Rose Ayling-Ellis, the first deaf contestant, and her professional partner Giovanni Pernice.

The forthcoming series will see audiences return to the studio after social distancing restrictions due to the pandemic had prevented it for a few years.

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