‘America's favourite dancer' joins Strictly line-up
Alexis Warr, who was given the accolade in 2022 for winning the television show So You Think You Can Dance, will seek to make a similar impression on British audiences when the new series airs this autumn.
She will be joined by another newcomer, Julian Caillon, the Australian ballroom dancer and physiologist.
The announcement comes amid changes to the Strictly line-up following a series of scandals on the show.
Giovanni Pernice was left out of the 2024 line-up following an accusation by Amanda Abbington, the actress and former dance partner, of 'inappropriate, mean, nasty and bullying' behaviour in training.
He was cleared of any physical wrongdoing following a BBC investigation, but a complaint was upheld for his use of 'belittling' language.
Fellow Italian Graziano di Prima was initially confirmed for the 2024 series, but was let go by the BBC after reports of misconduct with his partner Zara McDermott.
In an Instagram post at the time, he wrote: 'I deeply regret the events that led to my departure from Strictly. My intense passion and determination to win might have affected my training regime. Respecting the BBC HR process, I understand it's best for the show that I step away.'
Warr said: 'I've admired Strictly for years, so joining this incredible family is such an honour. I can't wait to step into the ballroom, pour my heart into every moment, and share my love of dance with the UK.'
Caillon, who shares videos on social media of his work training with the elderly, added: 'I've watched it for years, especially cheering on all the amazing dancers I know and work with who've been part of it. I can't wait to get stuck in, have some fun, and be part of something special.'
The new pair will join fellow professionals Dianne Buswell, Nadiya Bychkova, Amy Dowden, Karen Hauer, Katya Jones, Neil Jones, Nikita Kuzmin, Gorka Marquez, Luba Mushtuk, Jowita Przystal, Johannes Radebe, Aljaž Škorjanec, Kai Widdrington, Nancy Xu, Carlos Gu, Lauren Oakley, Michelle Tsiakkas and Vito Coppola.
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