91福利社

Strictly Come Dancing has announced five new Professional Dancers who will be joining the hit series when it returns to light up Saturday and Sunday nights on the 91福利社 this September.

Hailing from the UK, Canada, Italy, South Africa and Ukraine, Strictly鈥檚 new fab five have all danced their way to international acclaim and are some of the most exciting talents in dance today.

Head to Strictly's social channels on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and YouTube to see the new Pros in action, and read on below to get to know Aleksandra, Cristian, Lethabo, Maddie and Mark...

Aleksandra Isaeva

Aleksandra Isaeva grew up in Ukraine and now lives in Italy. A multiple Ukrainian National Latin Champion, Aleksandra is ranked in the world鈥檚 top 21 Latin dancers and has reached top 10 positions at both the European Latin Championships in Blackpool and the Dutch Open鈥檚 World Latin Dance Competition, as well as becoming a finalist at the UK Dance Festival鈥檚 Latin Rising Star competition.

On joining Strictly, Aleksandra says: 鈥淚鈥檝e been living and breathing dance for as long as I can remember, so joining the Strictly family is a true honour. The thought of learning from and sharing this experience with such extraordinary dancers, choreographers and the whole Strictly family still gives me goosebumps. I can鈥檛 wait to pour my whole heart into every performance, inspire others and be inspired along the way!鈥�

Cristian Priori

Aleksandra joins Strictly with her dance partner Cristian Priori. A four-time Italian Latin Champion who was ranked in the World鈥檚 top 24 Latin dancers for eight consecutive years, Cristian鈥檚 international success saw him become a Rising Star Latin Finalist at the Blackpool Dance Festival and an Open World Latin Semi-Finalist. Born in Rome, Cristian achieved dance success from a young age as the Junior Italian 10-Dance Champion, before going on to become a Rising Star Finalist at both the UK Open and the Dutch Open.

Cristian says: 鈥淪aying yes to Strictly was an easy decision. Dance has always been my way of expressing myself, and I鈥檓 so excited to begin this new chapter. I鈥檓 ready to give my all, enjoy every moment of this amazing journey, and embrace everything it has to offer. Strictly is where passion, hard work and entertainment come together, so being part of it is a real privilege.鈥�

Lethabo Monametsi

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. 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.

Lethabo has also shared the stage with global icons including Diana Ross and Hans Zimmer, and represented South Africa at the WDC Amateur Open World Championships in Ireland. As if that all weren鈥檛 enough, Lethabo also holds a Bachelor of Arts (Law Major) Degree from the University of the Witwatersrand.

Lethabo says: "This moment is bigger than me. I step into it with profound gratitude and deep humility, knowing it is the culmination of years of unwavering love, belief, and support from the people who dared to dream alongside me. Representing South Africa on the Strictly Come Dancing stage is far more than a career milestone, it is an honour beyond words, and I cannot wait to embrace every extraordinary moment of this journey."

Maddie Ingoldsby

Maddie Ingoldsby is a UK National Ballroom Champion and eight-time Amateur 10-Dance World Champion from Bournemouth, who was previously also crowned World Rising Star and Under 21 World Ballroom Champion. As a child Maddie played Annie in the West End, and made her television debut on Strictly: It Takes Two 鈥� before going on to perform in a Pros鈥� group number on the main show鈥檚 Christmas special. Maddie can also be seen in the hit film Last Christmas, starring Emma Thompson and Emilia Clarke.

Maddie says: 鈥淛oining Strictly as a professional dancer is truly a dream come true. My heart is so full of gratitude, excitement, and anticipation as I begin this incredible new chapter. Dance has always been where I feel most myself, and to now share my heart, my creativity, and my love for it on a show that has inspired millions is an honour beyond words.鈥�

Mark Karmalita

Mark Karmalita is a two-time National Latin Champion in his native Canada, and a Canadian Championship winner and finalist across multiple age groups. Mark is also an Empire Dance US Latin Rising Star Champion, and was previously ranked 10th in the World at the Under 21 Latin Dance Festival in Blackpool.

Mark says: "Joining Strictly feels incredibly special, and I鈥檓 honoured to be stepping into a ballroom with so much history and heart. I can鈥檛 wait to bring my own style, connect with the audience, and enjoy every moment along the way.鈥�

The five new dancers join Strictly鈥檚 returning Professionals: Alexis Warr, Alja啪 艩korjanec, 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.

Sarah James, Executive Producer, 91福利社 Studios says: 鈥淎leksandra, Cristian, Lethabo, Maddie and Mark are all outstanding world class dancers and we can鈥檛 wait to see them shine under the Strictly glitterball this September.鈥�

Jo Wallace, Senior Commissioning Editor, 91福利社 Entertainment says: 鈥淚t鈥檚 so exciting to welcome the brilliantly talented Aleksandra, Cristian, Lethabo, Maddie and Mark. As if the return of Strictly wasn't shaping up to be fab-u-lous enough already, they're five more reasons why the new series is not to be missed.鈥�

Strictly Come Dancing is a 91福利社 Studios Entertainment production for 91福利社 One and 91福利社 iPlayer, commissioned by Kalpna Patel-Knight, Head of Entertainment at the 91福利社. The executive producer is Sarah James, the series editors are Nicola Fitzgerald and Jack Gledhill. The commissioning editor for the 91福利社 is Jo Wallace.

Strictly Come Dancing waltzes back onto 91福利社 One and 91福利社 iPlayer this autumn. For all the latest on the new series follow @bbcstrictly on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, and apply for tickets to see the Strictly Professional Dancers in action on the 91福利社 Shows and Tours website.

• Strictly Come Dancing 2026 - Everything you need to know about the new series

GK

Follow For More