New professional dancers confirmed for BBC's "Strictly Come Dancing" return

"Strictly Come Dancing" will be waltzing its way back onto screens this autumn for another series, bringing joy, laughter, and a serious amount of dance to audiences all across the UK. Produced by BBC Studios Entertainment and broadcast on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, "Strictly" continues to capture the hearts of the nation. The latest run was the BBC’s biggest unscripted series in 2024, with the main show averaging 8.8 million viewers across the series, and 10.1 million tuning in for the final.

The title  is a BBC Studios Entertainment production for BBC One and BBC iPlayer, commissioned by Kalpna Patel-Knight, Head of Entertainment at the BBC. The Executive Producer is Sarah James, with Series Editors Nicola Fitzgerald and Jack Gledhill. The BBC Commissioning Editor is Jo Wallace.

In addition, more people watched "Strictly" via BBC iPlayer in 2024 than ever before, with a fifth of the total audience tuning in through the platform. "Strictly" continues to win and be nominated for awards, with recent wins including Best Talent Show at the NTAs and the 2024 BAFTA TV Award for Best Entertainment Programme. The show is also nominated at the 2025 BAFTA TV Craft Awards in the Entertainment and Director: Multi-Camera categories, with Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell’s Waltz to ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ earning a 2025 BAFTA TV Award nomination for Memorable Moment.

For the upcoming series, professional dancers 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 will all take to the floor once more, alongside two brand new professional dancers—who will be revealed closer to the show’s return.

Sarah James, Executive Producer at BBC Studios, praised the title: “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," commented.

Also, Kalpna Patel-Knight, Head of Entertainment at the BBC, highlighted the high level of the dancers: “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!," noted.

In addition to the Pros competing, all professional dancers will also perform each week in unforgettable group routines. Combined with world-class musical acts, theme weeks, and of course the much-anticipated annual trip to the iconic and much-loved Tower Ballroom in Blackpool, the show promises yet another spectacular series of the nation’s favourite dance competition. More details about the upcoming series—including the celebrity contestants—will be announced in due course, as "Strictly Come Dancing" returns to BBC One and BBC iPlayer in autumn 2025.