Strictly Come Dancing announces FIVE new professionals will join the lineup after a string of stars were axed in cast bloodbath

Strictly Come Dancing has announced that five new professional dancers will be joining the hit series when it returns this September.

The five were officially announced in a new social media post on Saturday, following the removal of a number of professionals from the squad earlier this year.

Aleksandra Isaeva, Cristian Priori, Lethabo Monametsi, Maddie Ingoldsby and Mark Karmalita will make their debut on the Strictly dancefloor this autumn.

The show has undergone a serious revamp in recent months, with Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe replacing long-serving presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman as hosts.

Eight celebrity contestants have been announced so far, including this year’s celebrity contestants Will Best, Jaime Winstone and Delta Goodrem.

The new pros will join returning stars Alexis Warr, Aljaž Škorjanec, Amy Dowden, Carlos Gu, Dianne Buswell, Jowita Przystal, Julian Caillon, Kai Widdrington, Katya Jones, Lauren Oakley, Nancy Xu, Neil Jones, Nikita Kuzmin and Vito Coppola.

Aleksandra Isaeva, who comes from Ukraine but grew up in Italy She is among the top 21 Latin dancers in the world and has reached top ten places at both the European Latin Championships in Blackpool and the Netherlands Open World Latin Dance Competition.

She said: ‘I’ve been living and breathing dance for as long as I can remember, so joining the Strictly family is a real honour.

‘The thought of learning from and sharing the experience with these incredible dancers, choreographers and the entire Strictly family still gives me goosebumps.

‘I can’t wait to pour my heart into every performance, inspiring others and being inspired along the way!’

Aleksandra will be joining Strictly with dance partner Cristian Priori.

Born in Rome, Cristian achieved dance success from a young age as a Young Italian 10 Dance Champion and subsequently became a Rising Star Finalist at both the UK Open and the Dutch Open.

Cristian said: ‘It was an easy decision to say absolutely yes. Dance has always been my way of expressing myself and I am so excited to begin this new chapter.

‘I’m ready to give it my all, enjoy every moment of this amazing journey and embrace everything it has to offer. ‘This is where passion, hard work and fun come together, so it’s a real privilege to be a part of it.’

Lethabo Monametsi is an undefeated South African Latin Champion who first fell in love with dance after watching the South African version of Strictly Come Dancing.

The five were officially announced in a new social media post on Saturday, following the removal of a number of professionals from the squad earlier this year.

Aleksandra Isaeva, who comes from Ukraine but grew up in Italy, is among the 21 best Latin dancers in the world

Aleksandra will be appearing on Strictly with dance partner Cristian Priori, who has achieved dance success from a young age as a Young Italian 10 Dance Champion.

No stranger to television, she won the TV dance competition Dance Yo Dumo as a member of Urban Wave and has since performed as a dancer on The Masked Singer SA.

He said: ‘This moment is bigger than me. I step forward with deep gratitude and deep humility, knowing that this is the culmination of years of unwavering love, faith, and support from people who dared to dream with me.

‘Representing South Africa on the Strictly Come Dancing stage is so much more than a career milestone, it is an honor beyond words and I can’t wait to embrace every extraordinary moment of this journey.’

Maddie Ingoldsby is a UK National Ballroom Champion and eight-time Amateur 10 Dance World Champion from Bournemouth, who was previously a World Rising Star and Under-21 World Ballroom Champion.

As a child, Maddie played Annie in the West End and made her television debut in Strictly: It Takes Two; he then performed in the Professionals’ group number in the main programme’s Christmas special.

He said: ‘As a professional dancer, joining Strictly is truly a dream come true. My heart is so full of gratitude, excitement, and anticipation as we begin this incredible new chapter.

‘Dance has always been where I feel most myself, and now sharing my heart, creativity and love for it in a show that inspires millions is an honor beyond words.’

Mark Karmalita is a two-time National Latin Champion in his home country of Canada, a Canadian Championship winner and finalist in multiple age groups.

He said: ‘It’s an absolutely incredibly special feeling to attend and I’m honored to step into a ballroom with so much history and heart.

‘I can’t wait to bring out my own style, connect with audiences and enjoy every moment along the way.’

BBC Studios Executive Producer Sarah James says: ‘Aleksandra, Cristian, Lethabo, Maddie and Mark are all incredible world-class dancers and we can’t wait to see them shine under the Strictly glitter ball this September.’

BBC Entertainment Senior Commissioning Editor Jo Wallace says: ‘It’s so exciting to welcome the very talented Aleksandra, Cristian, Lethabo, Maddie and Mark.

‘As if the return of Strictly couldn’t already be amazing enough, these are five more reasons why the new series shouldn’t be missed.’

In recent months, Nadiya Bychkova, 44-year-old Karen Hauer, 30-year-old Michelle Tsiakkas, 36-year-old Luba Mushtuk and 35-year-old Gorka Marquez were sentenced.

As the show desperately tries to attract a younger audience, it appears those with larger online followings were chosen over dancers who may not be TikTok-friendly.

An example of this appears to be the removal of Nadiya Bychkova, who had 19,000 followers, while Dianne Buswell, who had 966,000 followers, retained her place in the squad.

Karen Hauer, Strictly’s longest-serving female dancer, has a similar story with 9,000 followers, while newcomer Alexis Warr has a whopping 190,000 followers.

A source said: ‘He’s always looking for ways to grow his audience in terms of volume, while also attracting new, younger viewers.

‘Social media is a big part of expanding that appeal, and TikTok is the perfect medium for a show where music and dance are at the forefront.

‘They’re not going to lose someone from the roster because they’re not big on TikTok, but this could be what saves them from being cut.’

Meanwhile, Fleur East and Janette Manrara have also been dropped from Strictly Come Dancing spin-off It Takes Two.

Bosses are planning a major shake-up to BBC Two’s weekday schedule following a series of scandals that have rocked the series, insiders say.

Lethabo Monametsi is an undefeated South African Latin Champion who first fell in love with dance after watching the South African version of Strictly Come Dancing.

Maddie Ingoldsby is a UK National Ballroom Champion and an eight-time Amateur 10 Dance World Champion, and as well as playing Annie in the West End, she made her TV debut in It Takes Two.

Mark Karmalita is a two-time National Latin Champion in his native Canada and a Canadian Championship winner and finalist in multiple age groups.

Former Strictly pro Janette will take over presenting duties in 2021 after eight years on the main show, while pop star Fleur joined the cast in 2023 after reaching the final the previous year.

But now both stars are said to be in the firing line for executives to move in a bold new direction.

An industry source told The Sun: “Fans will be stunned that this bloodbath continues, but bosses are determined to completely overhaul the show.”

‘No one feels safe at the moment and after all the recent drama there is a real drive behind the scenes to usher in a new era.

‘But the priority is to start with a clean slate by September and put distance between the show and the controversies of recent years.’

He has certainly been rocked by a series of scandals, including allegations of drug use and abusive behavior by professional dancers towards contestants.

Pros Giovanni Pernice and Graziano di Prima left the show as Graziano was dogged by allegations he branded his partner Zara McDermott.

Pernice was investigated by the BBC over her partner Amanda Abbington’s bullying allegations, some of which were confirmed.

There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing by any of the professionals who left as part of the Strictly revamp following the departures of Winkleman and Daly.