Strictly professionals return to work as rehearsals begin for new series
Amid all of the drama!
Despite the series not due to start until September, it's been a controversial few weeks for Strictly Come Dancing amid the accusations surrounding a number of professional dancers, which resulted in both Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima being removed.
However, despite the controversy, it looks like bosses are going full steam ahead for the upcoming 20th anniversary series, as this year's professional dancers are now back in the rehearsal room.
Sharing a photo to Strictly's official Instagram page, the likes of Vito Coppola, Gorka Marquez, Dianne Buswell, Kai Widdrington and Nikita Kuzmin can all be seen, as well as Amy Dowden, who is returning following a battle with cancer last year. Aljaž Škorjanec is also beaming in the snap, after BBC bosses confirmed he would be taking part in the 2024 series following a two-year hiatus.
The photo was captioned with: 'Day one of #Strictly 2024 rehearsals done! We can’t wait to share our new pro routines with everyone soon @bbciplayer'. (sic)
Fans of the show were quick to comment on the photo, with many expressing their delight at seeing some of the favourites back in the rehearsal room.
One wrote: 'So lovely to see @amy_dowden back with everyone 💗🌟', with another adding: 'It’s lovely to see both Amy and Aljaz in the group photo! Jason Gilkinson is an amazing choreographer too, I can’t wait to see what he comes up with this year. ❤️'. (sic)
A third wrote: 'Lovely to see Amy ‘s back 🥰💕🌸 very pleased also to see Aliaz he was always one of my favourites such a kind funny sweet pro😍'. (sic)
Former contestants such as Gemma Atkinson, Krishnan Guru-Murthy and Annabel Croft also showed their support, whilst the likes of Claudia Winkleman, Shirley Ballas and Vernon Kay also expressed their excitement in the comments.
Check out all of this year's Strictly professionals below:
Vito Coppola
Vito joined the show in 2022 and made it all the way to the final with Hits Radio presenter Fleur East. In 2024, Vito went one step further, winning the show with former Corrie actress Ellie Leach.
Amy Dowden
Caerphilly-born Amy first joined Strictly in 2017 and quickly became a fan favourite. In 2023 she was forced to miss the show after being diagnosed with cancer in May. After undergoing successful treatment, it's now been confirmed Amy will return to the show for the 2024 series!
Gorka Marquez
Gorka joined the show in 2016 and has danced in three finals. In 2023 he was paired with Nikita Kanda.
Dianne Buswell
Dianne was a professional on the Australian version of Strictly Come Dancing before she joined the UK cast in 2017. In 2023, she made it to the final with Bobby Brazier.
Karen Hauer
Karen is the longest serving dancer in the current line-up, having joined in 2012. Last year she was paired with Eddie Kadi.
Katya Jones
Katya lifted the glitterball with actor Joe McFadden in 2017 and has been a Strictly professional since 2016. She danced with actor Nigel Harman in 2023.
Johannes Radebe
Johannes has been a Strictly pro since 2018. He danced with Tennis legend Annabel Croft in 2023.
Kai Widdrington
Kai became a professional dancer in 2021, when he reached the final with presenter AJ Odudu but had to pull out due to an injury. Last year, Kai was paired with Angela Rippon.
Jowita Przystal
Jowita joined the show in 2021 and was given her first professional partner, Hamza Yassin, in the 2022 series, with the pair went on to win the show. Jowita was then paired with Jody Cundy in 2023.
Carlos Gu
Carlos joined Strictly Come Dancing in 2022 and was partnered with CBBC star Molly Rainford. The pair reached the final of the show. Last year, Carlos was paired with Angela Scanlon.
Nikita Kuzmin
Nikita joined the show in 2021. He made the final during the 2023 series alongside his partner Layton Williams.
Nancy Xu
Nancy was paired with actor Les Dennis in 2023. She has been a professional on the show since 2019.
Neil Jones
Neil has been a Strictly professional since 2016. His past celebrity partners include professional footballer Alex Scott and actress and comedian Nina Wadia.
Lauren Oakley
Lauren joined Strictly Come Dancing in 2022, and her first celebrity partner was Krishnan Guru-Murthy during the 2023 series.
Luba Mushtuk
Luba became a professional dancer on the programme in 2018. In 2023 she was paired with actor Adam Thomas.
Nadiya Bychkova
Nadiya joined the show in 2017. In 2022, she danced with Matt Goss. She was without a celebrity partner last year.
Michelle Tsiakkas
Michelle joined Strictly in 2022. She was without a celebrity partner last year.
Aljaž Škorjanec
Aljaž Škorjanec appeared on the show for a massive nine years before announcing he'd quit in 2022. However, much to the delight of fans, BBC bosses confirmed in July 2024 that he will be returning a professional dancer for the 2024 series.
After Italian dancer Giovanni Pernice was left out of this year's line-up following accusations which he strongly denies, earlier this month the programme was hit with more controversary when bosses were forced to remove Graziano Di Prima from the show due to allegations of unacceptable behaviour in the rehearsal room.
Following the news, Graziano released a statement online, which read: '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.
'While there are aspects of this story involving external influences that I can't discuss at this time, I remain committed to being strong for my family and friends. I wish the Strictly family and the BBC nothing but success in the future.
'I also want to thank everyone who has supported my career, both professionally and personally. When the time is right, I will share my story.' (sic)
At the same time, the BBC also released a statement, saying: "We can confirm that Graziano Di Prima is no longer a part of the line-up of professional dancers for the upcoming series of Strictly Come Dancing. While we would never comment on individual cases, it is well-known that the BBC has established and robust duty of care procedures, and if issues are raised we will always take them seriously and act swiftly as appropriate."
Just days later, Graziano's 2023 partner Zara McDermott chose to break her silence on the matter, admitting she felt 'fear' to open up.
The former Love Island star wrote on Instagram: 'I felt it was right that I post something regarding the recent media reports. Strictly is one of the most magical shows on TV and one that I dreamt of being on since I was a little girl.
'When I was invited to be a contestant on the show it really was a childhood dream come true. I fully understood the level of commitment and hard work that Strictly was going to be and I dedicated everything to it. I am a resilient person and I was fully prepared to put in whatever it took.
'And so much of my Strictly experience was everything I could have dreamt of. The entire production team and everyone behind the scenes as well as my fellow contestants were so amazing to work with. However, my experience inside the training room was very different. Reports have been made about my treatment on the show and there were witnesses to some events, as well as videos of particular incidents which are incredibly distressing to watch.
'I have wrestled with the fear of opening up- I was scared about public backlash, I was scared about my future, I was scared of victim shaming. But after a lot of conversations with those I love, I've gained the strength to face these fears, and when I was asked to speak to the BBC, I spoke candidly about my time on the show.
'The culture within our society makes it difficult for people to speak up, especially in a world where social media opinions and voices are so loud. This is something I've seen through working with countless women on my documentaries. I would like to thank the BBC & BBC Studios for their swift action and incredibly high level of support, as well as everyone who has reached out to me - it really truly means a lot.
'Love, always. Zara.' (sic)
Following the recent accusations, BBC bosses have now reviewed the situation and introduced a number of new welfare plans.
Revealing the concerns that have risen over the last few months have all been related to training and rehearsals, bosses have introduced the following welfare steps:
1) Have a production team member present during training room rehearsals at all times.
2) Increase existing support with the addition of two new roles on the show dedicated to welfare support – a Celebrity Welfare Producer and a Professional Dancer Welfare Producer.
3) Deliver further training for the production team and crew.
Strictly will return to BBC One and BBC iPlayer in September.
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