Strictly Come Dancing reveals professionals lineup for 2025 – with one surprise return
Strictly Come Dancing has announced which professional dancers will be on the line up for this year's show, after months of speculation some would be axed.
Dianne Buswell – who won the BBC dance competition with Chris McCausland in 2024 – will return, alongside Nadiya Bychkova, Katya Jones, Neil Jones, Nikita Kuzmin, Gorka Marquez, Luba Mushtuk and Jowita Przysta.
Despite speculation Giovanni Pernice would return to the show after quitting last June, when his celebrity dance partner Amanda Abbington accused him of 'abusive behaviour', the dancer, who was cleared of the more serious allegations levied against him by a BBC investigation, has not been listed on this year's lineup of professionals.
Amy Dowden, who pulled out of last year's competition following a foot injury, will also return to the show. She will be joined by Carlos Gu, Kai Widdrington, Johannes Radebe, Aljaž Škorjanec Nancy Xu, Lauren Oakley, Michelle Tsiakkas and Vito Coppola who will all take to the floor once more.
Two new dancers, who are yet to be revealed, will also be added to the cast, with the BBC set to announce their names closer to Strictly's return this Autumn.
Karen Hauer, 42, also secured a space on the line up, despite previous reports claiming the show's longest-serving dancer was set to be axed by bosses.
In November last year, it was claimed Hauer was at 'risk' of losing her place on the show because of her age. However, she will return for Strictly once more in September, meaning nobody from the 2024 series has been removed from the professional lineup.
Hauer later told The Sun's Fabulous Magazine: 'I'm the longest serving on the show, but new dancers don't threaten me - I watch them and I learn from them.'
Sarah James, executive producer at BBC Studios, 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 line up who will help bring another unforgettable series of dazzling dance and loads more besides to viewers later in 2025.'
Meanwhile, Kalpna Patel-Knight, Head of Entertainment at the BBC said: '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!'
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