Strictly Come Dancing confirms returning professional dancers amid departures
By Casey Cooper-Fiske, Press Association Senior Entertainment Reporter
Strictly Come Dancing has confirmed the professional dancers who will return to the show for its 2026 series, after five announced they would be leaving the programme earlier this year.
The BBC also confirmed new professionals would be recruited and announced closer to the dancing show’s return in autumn to replace Gorka Marquez, Michelle Tsiakkas, Karen Hauer, Nadiya Bychkova and Luba Mushtuk, who have left Strictly.
Returning from 2025’s series are Alexis Warr, Amy Dowden, Aljaz Skorjanec, Dianne Buswell, Johannes Radebe, Jowita Przystal, Julian Caillon, Kai Widdrington, Katya Jones, Lauren Oakley, Nancy Xu, Neil Jones, Nikita Kuzmin, Vito Coppola, and Carlos Gu, who won last year’s series with former England footballer Karen Carney.
Dowden returns after she was the first to leave last year’s series, which saw her partnered with former The Apprentice candidate Tom Skinner, and was forced to leave the 2024 series, where she was partnered with JB Gill, due to injury, which led to her being replaced by Oakley.
Skinner made headlines during his time on Strictly last year after he admitted to cheating on his wife, Sinead, just weeks after their wedding, in an interview with The Sun On Sunday, and went on to make allegations about the show, including its voting system.
The judging panel of Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke, and head judge Shirley Ballas have also all been announced as returning, while themed weeks including movies, icons, Halloween and musicals, plus the Instant Dance challenge, which was introduced last year, will also be back.
The BBC has also confirmed Strictly will once again make its annual trip to Blackpool Tower Ballroom later this year, and said further plans for the new series would be announced in due course.
It comes after Marquez announced last week that he would be the latest professional dancer to depart the show after 10 years performing on it.
In an Instagram post, the Spanish dancer said: “After last year’s decision to step down as a full-time professional due to scheduling conflicts between Strictly and Dancing With The Stars Spain, I’ve decided that now is the time to hang up my dance shoes and say goodbye to Strictly Come Dancing.
“I will always be incredibly grateful to Strictly and the BBC for everything.
“Being part of the show has been so much more than just a professional opportunity – over the past 10 years, it allowed me to build a career from my passion, find love, start a family, and make lifelong friends. For that, I will forever be thankful.”
The dancer’s post was flooded with tributes from fans and stars alike, with fellow departing dancers Hauer, Mushtuk and Bychkova offering their well-wishes, each commenting with heart emojis.
The BBC has thanked each of the departing dancers for their time on the show, praising Tsiakkas for her “excellent performances” and “professionalism”, and Marquez for his “exceptional contribution”.
