The entire lineup of professional dancers will return to Strictly Come Dancing in 2025, it has been confirmed.
The news marks a reprieve for several of the pros, including Gorka Marquez, Neil Jones and Karen Hauer, who had been tipped for the axe in a shakeup of the lineup this year.
Two new as-yet unnamed dancers will join Strictly in the coming months - ostensibly as replacements for Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima, who both left the show last year.
In addition to Marquez, Jones and Hauer, also back are Nikita Kuzmin, Dianne Buswell, Vito Coppola, Aljaz Skorjanec, Luba Mushtuk, Jowita Przystal, Johannes Radebe, Nadiya Bychkova, Carlos Gu, Katya Jones, Michelle Tsiakkas, Lauren Oakley, Amy Dowden, Kai Widdrington and Nancy Xu.
Exec producer Sarah James said: "The excitement is already building ahead of the new series and in addition to welcoming back our fantastic returning Pros, we are looking forward to welcoming two brand new Professional Dancers to the lineup who will help bring another unforgettable series of dazzling dance and loads more besides to viewers later in 2025."
Kalpna Patel-Knight, the BBC's head of entertainment, added: "The Strictly Professional Dancers are the beating heart of the programme, showcasing to viewers in every corner of the UK their world class talent by lighting up the famous Strictly ballroom every Saturday and Sunday night. Here's to another fab-u-lous series!"
The new series is due to begin on BBC One in September.
Neil Wilkes
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