{"id":569171,"date":"2026-05-06T12:01:15","date_gmt":"2026-05-06T12:01:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/569171\/"},"modified":"2026-05-06T12:01:15","modified_gmt":"2026-05-06T12:01:15","slug":"strictly-come-dancing-professionals-and-judges-revealed-after-dramatic-shake-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/569171\/","title":{"rendered":"Strictly Come Dancing professionals and judges revealed after dramatic shake-up"},"content":{"rendered":"

BREAKING – The Strictly dancers returning to the fold following a mass bloodbath – plus the new faces this season, have been revealed as well as some brand-new theme weeks<\/p>\n

10:13, 06 May 2026Updated 10:37, 06 May 2026<\/p>\n

\"Strictly<\/p>\n

Returning Strictly pros have been announced for the new season<\/p>\n

Strictly Come Dancing 2026<\/a> is back this autumn – and the dancers for this year’s extravaganza following quite a mammoth year of huge shake-ups has finally been revealed.<\/p>\n

Returning to the dance floor later this year are: new mum Dianne Buswel<\/a>l, Julian Caillon, Amy Dowden, Katya Jones, Neil Jones, Nikita Kuzmin<\/a>, Jowita Przysta\u0142, Johannes Radebe, Alja\u017e \u0160korjanec, Alexis Warr, Kai Widdrington, Nancy Xu, Carlos Gu, Lauren Oakley and Vito Coppola.<\/p>\n

In addition to the returning Pros, there will be brand new professional dancers joining the line-up in 2026 – the BBC<\/a> has said they will be confirmed closer to the return of the show as the 24th series hits our screens in September.<\/p>\n

\"Strictly<\/p>\n

New mum Dianne Buswell will be back on the dancefloor(Image: Joe Sugg Instagram)<\/p>\n

\"Dani<\/p>\n

CBB star Nikita Kuzmin will also return<\/p>\n

Back once again for the new series will be an unchanged judging panel – Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse<\/a>, Anton Du Beke and Head Judge Shirley Ballas<\/a> who will be casting a watchful eye over the performances each week, giving their expert view on the dances and delivering their all-important scores.<\/p>\n

And the much-loved themed weeks will return too, including Movies, Icons, Halloween and Musicals plus the Instant Dance challenge, following its high-energy debut in 2025<\/a>.<\/p>\n

One of the most iconic milestones of the series, which has been a telly favourite now for two decades, the annual visit to the iconic Blackpool Tower Ballroom, will also remain a highlight of the show.<\/p>\n

Last year, 8.6m viewers tuned into the Grand Final to see Karen Carney and her professional partner Carlos Gu lift the Glitterball Troph<\/a>y. But this year, it will all look very different.<\/p>\n

\"Claudia<\/p>\n

Tess and Claudia’s replacements – as well as the new pros – are yet to be revealed(Image: PA)<\/p>\n

As well as welcoming back some familiar faces in terms of pros and judges, we will have some brand-new hosts after the shock departure of Claudia Winkleman and Tess Dal<\/a>y.<\/p>\n

The big announcement on who will take over the mantel is thought to be imminent, with hot favourites including Ryla<\/a>n and Zoe Ball.<\/p>\n

There will also be some brand-new professional dancers, following a series of shock departures in recent months. The latest was Spanish pro and huge viewer favourite Gorka Marquez.<\/p>\n

While other pros were reportedly ‘axed’ amid a huge shake-up by BBC bosses, it’s believed Gemma Atkinson’s other half made the decision to walk away himself<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Gorka’s shock departure joins the likes of other beloved dancers who won’t be back – including Luba Mushtuk, Michelle Tsiakkas, Karen Hauer and Nadiya Bychkova<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Nadiya has been part of the pro line-up since 2017, having been paired with the likes of Dan Walker, Davood Ghadami, David James and, most recently, Chris Robshaw.<\/p>\n

\"Nadiya<\/p>\n

Nadiya was just one of the much-loved pros who revealed she was leaving(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC\/Ray Burmiston)<\/p>\n

\"Karen<\/p>\n

The longest-serving female pro, Karen Hauer, also announced her shock exit from the show(Image: BBC\/Ray Burmiston)<\/p>\n

Karen Hauer <\/a>was the longest-serving female pro in the show’s history. She confirmed a BBC Strictly statement about her exit in her own emotional social media post<\/a>, in which she wrote,<\/p>\n

“After 14 years on Strictly Come Dancing<\/a>, I’ve decided this is the right time for me to close this chapter and take on new projects in other areas that I’m passionate about.”<\/p>\n

She continued: “Strictly completely changed my life, not only as a performer and a teacher, but as a human being. I’ve had the privilege of meeting so many incredible people and brilliant celebrity partners who have become close friends and people I admire so much.<\/p>\n

“None of this would have been possible without the amazing fans. You’ve been there since day one when I just moved to the UK and had no idea what I was getting myself into. I’m so grateful you watched me grow over the years and witnessed all of my different hairstyles!”<\/p>\n

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok <\/a>, Snapchat <\/a>, Instagram <\/a>, Twitter <\/a>, Facebook <\/a>, YouTube <\/a>and Threads <\/a>.<\/p>\n