Ballroom fans rejoice, it won't be long until Strictly Come Dancing is back on our screens for 2022. With an exciting line up of celebrities including Helen Skelton and Kym Marsh, and of course the Strictly Come Dancing judges as well as the fabulous professional dancers – we can't wait!
This year unfortunately we won't be seeing Oti Mabuse and Aljaž Skorjanec, however there will be four brand-new pro dancers to complete the set of 20 professionals.
Read on for the full line up of the professional Strictly Come Dancing dancers...
New 2022 professionals:
We found out more about the dancers and how they're feeling about joining the strictly line up.
Carlos Gu
Chinese National Champion Carlos is a multiple world semi-finalist, placed 3rd at the German Open Championship and became Amateur Latin Rising Star Runner Up at the 2017 UK Open.
On joining strictly Carlos commented: "I'm thrilled to join Strictly and very excited to get started. It's a new chapter of my life."
Lauren Oakley
Birmingham-born Lauren Oakley started dancing at just 2 years old and began competing soon after. Early successes include becoming Juvenile Champion at the prestigious Blackpool Dance Festival, winning across both Ballroom and Latin disciplines.
She was also crowned Under 21 British National Champion before exploring a career on stage. She has toured all over the world and most recently has been leading lady to Giovanni Pernice and Anton Du Beke in their national tours.
Vito Coppola
Vito is an 11-time Italian Latin American Champion, who began winning national championships at a young age. The star is a three-time World Championship finalist and European Cup Winner, and previously won the Italian version of Strictly, Ballando con le Stelle.
Speaking about joining the show, Italian dancer Vito said: "I am really excited to become part of this family. I cannot wait to start this new adventure and to challenge myself."
He added: "Strictly sto arrivando!" (Strictly I am coming!)
Michelle Tsiakkas
Latin dance champion Michelle Tsiakkas first started dancing at the age of 6 in her home country of Cyprus. There she became an undefeated champion, winning national titles consecutively from 2001-2011 before moving to London to study.
In the UK she continued to compete, representing England at major international championships before joining the world touring dance show Burn The Floor.
Returning to the Strictly ballroom are:
Amy Dowden
Amy joined the Strictly family in 2017 and made history by being the first ever Welsh professional to enter the ballroom. Amy Dowden is one of the highest-ranking Ballroom and Latin American professional dancers in the UK and the current British National Champion.
Cameron Lombard
Cameron is the current reigning South African Latin Champion – he has won 18 national titles across Ballroom and Latin in his career. Last year Cameron had no celebrity partner but we got to see his amazing talents in the pro-group numbers, this year it looks like we'll be seeing more of him as he's said to be the official replacement for Aljaž Skorjanec.
Dianne Buswell
Dianne is an Australian professional dancer. After competing on Dancing with the Stars in Australia, she joined the British series in 2017, reaching the final in 2018 with her partner Joe Sugg.
Giovanni Pernice
Italian professional dancer Giovanni Pernice was partnered with Rose Ayling-Ellis last year and became Strictly Come Dancing winners. Giovanni is an Italian Open Latin Dance Champion, and the Guinness World Record holder for Jive kicks and flicks, as well as Charleston swivels.
Gorka Marquez
Starting dance lessons at the age of 12, it didn’t take long for Gorka to become one of the top movers in his native Spain. He represented the country in the World Latin Championships in 2010 and reached the semi-finals of the 2012 WDSF World Cup.
In 2014, Gorka took a lead role in the global dance phenomenon Burn The Floor - a job which saw him touring the globe. First joining the Strictly family back in 2016, Gorka's debut was cut short as he only made it to Week Three with EastEnders star Tameka Empson. But his luck changed in 2017, seeing him soar through to the Final with singer Alexandra Burke.
Graziano Di Prima
Graziano started strictly in 2018. He is an Italian Latin Champion. He's also represented Belgium at the World Championships and has competed at the under 21s Latin World Championships. Plus he's toured the world for three years with dance company Burn The Floor, performing to thousands of fans across the globe.
Johannes Radebe
Johannes is no stranger to Glitterball glory, having reached the Final of Strictly Come Dancing South Africa twice! In 2021 he paired up with baker John Whaite to form the first ever all-male partnership in Strictly history.
Before he stepped into the strictly ballroom, he made moves as part of the Afro Arimba Dance Company, as well as being a two-time Professional South African Latin Champion and three-time South African Amateur Latin Champion.
Jowita Przystal
Jowita has had a super successful career in dance, beginning at the age of 12 and going on to become the Polish Open Latin Champion. In 2015 she ended her competitive career to join touring dance company Burn The Floor, where she performed around the world for four years before coming to the UK.
You may recognise Jowita as the 2020 winner of The Greatest Dancer, during which time she was mentored by Oti Mabuse.
Kai Widdrington
Kai competed as a Pro on Dancing With the Stars Ireland since its inception in 2017, and joined the strictly family in several of Pro performances in 2020, but his first official year on the show was 2021 when he was partnered with AJ Odudu.
Karen Hauer
Karen is the show's longest serving female pro, and this year will be her 11th strictly partner!
As a dancer and choreographer, Karen has worked with some of the biggest stars in the world, including Jennifer Lopez. She has won numerous ballroom awards including World Mambo Champion in 2008 and Professional American Rhythm Rising Star Champion in 2009, and has starred as a principal dancer in the hit show Burn the Floor.
Katya Jones
New to the Strictly family in 2016, Katya quickly stole the show with her creative routines and enthusiastic political partner Ed Balls.
Katya trained in both Ballroom and Latin, as well as gymnastics, and soon hit the competition circuit.
In 2008, two of Katya’s coaches - including former Strictly professional Karen Hardy - recommended a partner they felt she’d work well with. That partner was fellow Strictly Pro Neil Jones, and the coaches were right! Together Katya and Neil made their first major final within less than a year.
A win at the WDC World Championships followed, as well as three titles at the World Amateur Latin Championships, before they finally turned pro in 2013.
Luba Mushtuk
Luba officially joined Strictly in 2018, having served as an assistant choreographer on the show since 2016 and strutted her stuff on several of the Strictly live tours.
The Russian native is a four-time winner of the Italian Dance Championship and an Italian Open Latin Show Dance champion. She's also swiped second place in the European 10 Dance Championships and was a finalist at the Latin European Championships.
Luba has also worked extensively with the Broadway and West End versions of Burn The Floor, and has performed on both Giovanni Pernice's and Kevin Clifton & Karen Hauer's live tours.
Nadiya Bychkova
Ukranian Pro Nadiya joined the Strictly family in 2017, as two-time World Champion and European Champion in Ballroom and Latin ‘10’ Dance, Nadiya really knows her way around a dance floor, and has also taken part in the Bosnian version of Strictly Come Dancing.
She’s also a multiple-time Slovenian Ballroom and Latin Champion, and is a familiar face to many of the Strictly Pros, having trained at the same Slovenian dance school as former Strictly pro Aljaž Skorjanec.
Nancy Xu
Last year Nancy had her first celebrity pairing on Strictly with Rhys Stephenson, although she joined the show in 2019. A specialist in Latin, Nancy was a finalist in the U21 World Championships in 2010, took third place in the 2010-2012 CBDF National Amateur Latin Championships and was a runner up at the 2013 International Singapore Championship.
The fierce female has also been a finalist on So You Think You Can Dance in China and starred in West End and Broadway show Burn The Floor.
Neil Jones
Everyone's favourite red-head Neil has been part of the Strictly family since 2016, starring in many memorable Pro routines and bringing fun and expertise to It Takes Two.
But after a four-year wait, Neil was finally paired with a celebrity in 2019, making his main show debut with ex-footballer Alex Scott.
Neil trained in ballet, tap, modern, ballroom and Latin. He met fellow Pro dancer Katya Jones in Blackpool in 2008 and they instantly became a force to be reckoned with, becoming the undefeated four-time British National Champions, and the three-time winners of the World Amateur Latin Championships.
Nikita Kuzmin
Nikita and his family moved from Ukraine to Italy when he turned nine to support his sister's dancing career, but it was also the start of his own success. Here he became a six-time Italian Champion in Latin and Ballroom, and later joined the German version of Strictly called Let's Dance as a professional dancer.
He joined the Strictly Pro line-up for 2021, partnering with TV and social media star Tilly Ramsay.
Former Strictly Come Dancing professionals in past series
Anton Du Beke – Series 1-18
Brendan Cole – Series 1-15
Camilla Dallerup – Series 1-6
Erin Boag – Series 1-10
Hanna Karttunen – Series 1
John Byrnes – Series 1
Kylie Jones – Series 1
Paul Killick – Series 1-2
Darren Bennett – Series 2-7
Hazel Newberry – Series 2
Ian Waite – Series 2-7
Lilia Kopylova – Series 2-7
Nicole Cutler – Series 2, Series 3-4
Andrew Cuerden – Series 3
Hanna Haarala – Series 3
Izabela Hannah – Series 3
Karen Hardy – Series 3-6
Matthew Cutler – Series 3-7
Flavia Cacace – Series 4-10
James Jordan – Series 4-11
Ola Jordan – Series 4-13
Vincent Simone – Series 4-10
Brian Fortuna – Series 6-8
Hayley Holt – Series 6
Kristina Rihanoff – Series 6-13
Aliona Vilani – Series 7-9 / Series 11-13
Katya Virshilas – Series 7-9
Natalie Lowe – Series 7-10 / Series 12-14
Artem Chigvintsev – Series 8-11
Jared Murillo – Series 8
Robin Windsor – Series 8-11
Pasha Kovalev – Series 9-16
Iveta Lukosiute – Series 10-12
Anya Garnis – Series 11
Jannette Manrara – Series 11-18
Aljaž Škorjanec – Series 11-19
Kevin Clifton – Series 11-17
Joanne Clifton – Series 12 / S14
Trent Whiddon – Series 12
Tristan MacManus – Series 12-13
Gleb Savchenko – Series 13
Oti Mabuse – Series 13-19
AJ Pritchard – Series 14-17
Oksana Platero – Series 14