Strictly Come Dancing reveals new professionals joining for 2022
The four new additions make this the biggest pro line-up in Strictly history.
Strictly Come Dancing has announced that four new professionals will be joining the hit show for its 2022 season.
European cup winner Vito Coppola, Chinese National Champion Carlos Gu, former Under 21 British National Champion Lauren Oakley and Latin dance champion Michelle Tsiakkas have all signed up for the upcoming run, making it the biggest pro-line up in Strictly Come Dancing history.
They join established Strictly stars including Graziano Di Prima, Giovanni Pernice, Karen Hauer, Johannes Radebe, and Katya Jones, all of whom were confirmed to be returning to the show back in March.
Dianne Buswell, Nadiya Bychkova, Amy Dowden, Neil Jones, Nikita Kuzmin, Cameron Lombard, Gorka Marquez, Luba Mushtuk, Jowita Przystal, Kai Widdrington and Nancy Xu complete the 2022 line-up.
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Speaking about signing up to the series for 2022, Coppola said: “I am really excited to become part of this family. I cannot wait to start this new adventure and to challenge myself. Strictly sto arrivando! (or: Strictly I am coming!)”
"I’m thrilled to join Strictly and very excited to get started," added Gu. "It’s a new chapter of my life and a new challenge as well. I’m absolutely ready to take on this journey and to shine."
Meanwhile, Oakley said: “I’ve grown up watching Strictly, always hoping that one day I could be part of the best show on television, doing what I love the most. Now that it’s happening, it doesn’t quite seem real. I can’t wait to start this new sequined adventure and join this incredible family.”
And Tsiakkas commented: “Being a professional dancer on Strictly Come Dancing has been my dream ever since I was a little girl. I cannot believe my dream has come true! I’m so grateful to be joining this incredible family and I can’t wait to step on that magical dance floor and give it my all!”
Two high-profile professionals had earlier revealed they would not be taking part in the next season, with Oti Mabuse and Aljaž Škorjanec both calling time on their stints on the show.
Strictly Come Dancing will return to BBC One and BBC iPlayer later this year. 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.
