The nation’s favourite dance show will be back on the BBC this year for its 20th series. The multi-award winning Strictly Come Dancing will once again be bringing glitz and glamour to Saturday and Sunday nights.
Today the BBC announced the professional dancers who will appear in this year’s series. They include reigning champion Giovanni Pernice - who lifted the 2021 Strictly Glitterball trophy along with his partner, actress Rose Ayling-Ellis.
Two-time winner Oti Mabuse and 2013 champion Aljaž Škorjanec won’t be returning after they both recently revealed they are quitting the programme. BBC bosses have not yet added any new professionals to the line-up - but revealed some could be announced in due course.
Sarah James, executive producer, said: “We could not be more proud of the Strictly professional dancers and we are so happy to have so many returning for 2022. The world-class skill and extraordinary care they bring to everything they do, from working with their celebrity partners to choreographing and performing remarkable and unforgettable routines, never ceases to amaze us.”
Strictly 2022 professionals line-up
Sixteen professional dancers have been announced so far for Strictly 2022. The line-up so far is as follows:
Dianne Buswell - a professional dancer on the Australian version of Strictly Come Dancing before joining the UK series in 2017. She reached the Strictly final with social media star Joe Sugg in her second series on the show.
Nadiya Bychkova - a highly-decorated dancer originally from Ukraine. She joined Strictly Come Dancing in 2017 and in 2021 partnered BBC Breakfast’s Dan Walker, dancing all the way to the quarter final.
Graziano Di Prima - an Italian Latin Champion who joined Strictly Come Dancing in 2018. He has partnered two celebrities in the main series, Vick Hope and Judi Love, and in 2021 he was also crowned Strictly Christmas Champion with celebrity partner Anne-Marie.
Amy Dowden - a four-time British National Finalist who went on to become British National Champion. In 2017 she joined the series as a professional dancer and two years later she danced all the way to the final with CBBC’s Karim Zeroual.
Karen Hauer - originally from Venezuela, she is the longest-serving Strictly dancer of the current pro line up, returning for her eleventh series. Over the years she has enjoyed many memorable partnerships including with Jeremy Vine, Mark Wright and Chris Ramsey.
Katya Jones - a World Champion Latin dancer born in Saint-Petersburg, Russia. She is a Strictly Come Dancing champion, having won the series with Joe McFadden in her second year on the show.
Neil Jones - a four-time undefeated British National Professional Champion. Neil has been a Strictly professional since 2016 and his celebrity partners have included professional footballer Alex Scott.
Nikita Kuzmin - a six-time Italian Champion. In 2020 he competed on Let’s Dance, Germany’s version of Strictly Come Dancing, before joining the UK series in 2021 - when his celebrity partner was Tilly Ramsay.
Cameron Lombard - a South African Latin Champion who has won eighteen national titles across his dance career. He joined Strictly in 2021, performing in all the show’s group numbers and across the series’ music acts.
Gorka Marquez - represented Spain in the World Latin Championships in 2010. Gorka joined Strictly in 2016 and has danced in two finals, with Alexandra Burke in 2017 and with Maisie Smith in 2020.
Luba Mushtuk - originally from Russia and a four-time winner of the Italian Dance Championship. Luba was part of the Strictly Come Dancing family for several years as an assistant choreographer, before becoming a professional dancer on the programme in 2018.
Giovanni Pernice - now the longest-serving male professional among the current line-up of Strictly dancers, having joined the show in 2015. His celebrity partners have included Georgia May Foote, Debbie McGee, Faye Tozer and Michelle Visage.
Jowita Przystal - a Polish Open Latin Champion who moved to the UK in 2019 to pursue her dancing dreams. She won the BBC’s ‘The Greatest Dancer’ in 2020, which gave her the prize of performing in the Strictly ballroom, and in 2021 she officially joined the professional line-up.
Johannes Radebe - a two-time Professional South African Latin Champion. He joined the UK show in 2018 and most recently partnered celebrity baker John Whaite in the show’s first all-male partnership - finishing the series’ runners-up.
Kai Widdrington- Southampton born World Junior Latin champion. He joined the professional dancer line-up of Strictly in 2021 and his first celebrity partner was TV presenter AJ Odudu.
Nancy Xu - a finalist in the Under 21 World Championships in 2010. Nancy joined Strictly in 2019, performing in the show’s group routines and music acts, and in the 2021 series she partnered her first celebrity, CBBC presenter Rhys Stephenson.
When will Strictly 2022 be on?
The exact date for the 20th series has not yet been confirmed. But bosses said it will be back on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the autumn - most likely September.
Which celebrities will be on Strictly 2022?
No celebrities have been confirmed for Strictly Come Dancing 2022 as yet. Typically, the line-up is released gradually throughout the summer.
