Strictly Come Dancing confirms returning professionals for 2022
Giovanni Pernice, Johannes Radebe and Nancy Xu are among those back for this year's season.
We might still be several months away from the 2022 season of Strictly Come Dancing – but the show has already confirmed which Strictly professionals will be returning to the dancefloor next year.
Last year's champion Giovanni Pernice – who won the Glitterball trophy with celebrity partner Rose Ayling-Ellis – is among those to return, as is fellow 2021 finalist Johannes Radebe.
And other returning pros include Amy Dowden, Dianne Buswell, Gorka Márquez, Graziano Di Prima, Karen Hauer, Nikita Kuzmin, Nancy Xu, Neil Jones, Nadiya Bychkova, Katya Jones and Kai Widdrington.
Meanwhile, Jowita Przystał, Luba Mushtuk and Cameron Lombard – none of whom received a partner last year – will also be back in the fold this time around.
The announcement comes after two high profile professionals revealed they would not be taking part in the next season, with both Oti Mabuse and Aljaž Škorjanec calling time on their stints on the show.
Mabuse had been starring on the ballroom extravaganza since 2015, and was one of the most popular pros on the series – becoming the first person to win the top prize in two consecutive years with partners Kelvin Fletcher and Bill Bailey.
Meanwhile, Škorjanec made his Strictly debut in 2013 – winning at the first time of asking with partner Abbey Clancy and making the final again four years later with Gemma Atkinson.
It's not yet clear if new dancers will be brought in to replace the outgoing pros, but Strictly has said that any further updates will be announced in due course.
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Speaking about this year's line-up, executive producer Sarah James 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."
She added: "They really are the best in the business and we can’t wait to see what they bring to the Strictly ballroom for our 20th fabulous series."
Strictly Come Dancing will return to BBC One and BBC iPlayer in 2022. Want something else to watch? Check out our full TV Guide or visit our Entertainment hub for the latest news.
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Authors
Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.
