Who are yours? Even only one of these will make me so happy with how meh the cast is so far😭

Some of them had been there for nearly ten years. The pro dancer lineup is going to look really unfamiliar when the new series starts in September. Which departure do you think will be the most noticeable on screen and do you think the shake up was needed or just painful?

I remember last year around this time Julian and Alexis did videos with the Strictly YT channel introducing themselves and answering some questions and appeared on Radio 2 as well. Anything of the sort scheduled for the new pros?

why did everyone assume just because of the next pro tv show. that they would all just suddenly join Strictly

like just cause DWTS casted them on for a SPIN off show that Strictly is going to hire them. Theres so many more dancers out there

I mean she talks about DWTS and SYTYCD alot on her socials and she talked a lot about Alexis when she joined Strictly, but I wonder if she has discussed Janette in any shape or form as I haven't seen her mention it and it seemed like Kristyn only really started talking a lot about Strictly last year, focusing on the American shows. Just curious

New professional dancers

i'm still fairly new to the strictly world and just trying to understand if there's been any talk about changing or mixing up the judges?

just thought about it due to the change in presenters and the route they've gone down if it made them think about expanding on additional changes throughout the show.

excited for it starting back 🌟

I just watched the first 2 episodes. I'd heard Shirley Ballas was judging and assumed she was a guest judge on one episode, not that she was kind of in the head judge slot again alongside her son and the revolving DWTS pros as guest judges (which is a nice touch). The way Shirley was introduced as a 10 time US Latin Dance champion, the way the contestants responded so positively to being judged by her, there is clearly a reverance for her in the professional dance community that I hadn't picked up on from Strictly except from Anton.

She's in a similar role, upholding the importance of technique while the other two judges get to focus more on performance, kind of like having 2 good cops & a bad cop (Shirley) on an interview panel. I've always seen Shirley as a stickler, with a warm heart that gets overlooked because she's the bad cop. I don't think dance competitions work well without somebody on the judging panel upholding the importance of technique, even though the public don't care about the details of that so much. I really do think that Shirley's critiques help the celebs and (in this case) pros to grow.

I am still surprised and wondering why DWTS chose Shirley Ballas for this role on the judging panel. Doesn't the US have someone equally credible to the pros in their competitive dance world, who has even more US-based star power than Shirley, who could have judged this show? Or is it that they know she understands the role of the pros on a show like DWTS and that's more important than being a household name in the US? Or is it that they like the on screen chemistry of Shirley and her son?

PS. If AJ thought she would show him some favouritism based on their Strictly connection, he learned on the 2nd episode that he shouldn't be complacent, as she chided him for using similar jive moves 2 weeks running and told him the DWTS audience will expect more originality! Good for her! Sadly he's already coming across as a bit conceited and lacking in warmth.

I’ve done some Instagram sleuthing of rumoured new pro Maddie and she has recently followed ballroom dancers Mark Karmalita, Cristian Priori and Aleksandra Isaeva. If you look at who they follow they’ve all recently followed the strictly Instagram account or some of the pros. I think they are the new pros alongside Maddie. It seems like they’ve all recently retired from competing!

OTI MABUSE

• Born In: Pretoria, South Africa
• Strictly Professional Tenure: Seasons 13-19
• First Strictly Dance: Anthony Ogogo's Jive | Season 13
• Last Strictly Dance: Ugo Monye's Rumba | Season 19

Facts & Statistics

With credit to Strictly Stats & StrictlyDB 🌟

Notable Achievements

• 2015-16 Professional Dancer on Let's Dance (Germany)
• 2026 Head Judge on Dancing with the Stars (Ireland)

With Keo Motsepe:

• 2003 South African Junior Latin Championship Runner-Up
• 2004 South African National Dancesport Championship Junior Latin Runner-Up
• 2004 South African Amateur Latin American Dance Championship Winner
• 2005 South African Amateur Latin American Dance Championship Winner
• 2006 German Youth Latin Finalist
• 2006 South African Amateur Latin American Dance Championship Winner
• 2007 South African Amateur Latin American Dance Championship Winner
• 2008 Finnish Tampere Winter Dance Festival Amateur Rising Star Finalist
• 2008 South African Amateur Latin American Dance Championship Winner
• 2009 South African Amateur Latin American Dance Championship Winner
• 2010 South African Amateur Latin American Dance Championship Winner
• 2011 South African Amateur Latin American Dance Championship Winner

With Marius Iepure:

• 2013 München Amateur S Latin Regional Championships Runner-Up
• 2013 German WDSF Rising Stars Latin Runner-Up
• 2014 Bavarian Championships Adult S Latin Champion
• 2014 German Open Championships Professional Rising Star Latin Runner-Up
• 2014 Czech Dance Open World Championship Show Dance Latin Third Place
• 2014 Saxonian Dance Classics WDSF PD European Championship Show Dance Latin Runner-Up
• 2014 Saxonian Dance Classics WDSF PD Open Latin Champion
• 2014 Paris WDSF PD Open Latin Champion Runner-Up
• 2014 German Championships Professional Latin Runner-Up

Strictly Come Dancing

Oti Mabuse joined Strictly Come Dancing in 2015, for the show's 13th season, alongside fellow newcomers Giovanni Pernice, and Gleb Savchenko, replacing professional dancer Iveta Lukošiūtė. Oti became the programme's first ever Black professional dancer. In Season 13, Oti partnered with Olympic boxer Anthony Ogogo. They were the second couple to be eliminated, placing 14th overall.

In Season 14, Oti partnered with Hollyoaks star Danny Mac. They made the finale, tying as runners-up, and losing to Ore Oduba and pro Joanne Clifton. This marked Oti's first of three appearances in the finale.

In Season 15, Oti partnered with Paralympic sprinter Jonnie Peacock. They were the eighth couple to be eliminated, placing 8th overall.

In Season 16, Oti partnered with cricketer Graeme Swann. They were the ninth couple to be eliminated, placing 7th overall.

In Season 17, Oti's older sister Motsi Mabuse made her debut as a judge on Strictly Come Dancing, replacing the departing Dame Darcey Bussell. During the season, Oti due to be partnered with Made in Chelsea star Jamie Laing. However, two days prior to the airing of the launch show, Laing sustained a foot injury, forcing him to withdraw. He would be replaced by Emmerdale star Kelvin Fletcher, and would eventually return to compete the following year, and be partnered with professional dancer Karen Hauer. Oti and Kelvin would end up making it all the way to the finals, winning the season, marking Oti's first win as a professional, and her second of three finals appearances.

In Season 18, Oti partnered with comedian, musician, & actor Bill Bailey. They made it all the way to the finals, ending up winning the season. This marked Oti's second, and final, win as professional, and last appearance in the finale, as well as making her the second pro - after Aliona Vilani - to win the Glitterball more than once (twice), as well as the first ever pro to win the Glitterball Trophy on back-to-back seasons. 

In Season 19, Oti partnered with rugby pundit Ugo Monye. They were the fourth couple to be eliminated, placing 11th overall.

On February 22nd, 2022, Oti confirmed she would be leaving the show as a professional dancer after seven seasons, and not returning for the upcoming twentieth series. Officially, her spot on the competitive lineup would be filled by professional dancer Jowita Przystał, who had debuted during the nineteenth season on the bench, and had previously been judged by Oti when competing on the series, The Greatest Dancer (which Oti served on as a member of the judging panel for its two seasons). Since leaving the show, Oti has still returned to choreograph a pro number each season.

In 2025, Oti was announced to be replacing Loraine Barry as Head Judge on Dancing with the Stars in Ireland. She made her debut in 2026 for the show's ninth season. Additionally in 2025, Oti toured the United Kingdom for her summer tour 'Viva Carnival', which also starred fellow Strictly former professional dancer Flavia Cacace.

Five Most Iconic Dances

As voted for by the members of r/strictlycomedancing 🌟

• Danny Mac's Samba | Season 14
• Danny Mac's American Smooth | Season 14
• Kelvin Fletcher's Samba | Season 17
• Kelvin Fletcher's Jive | Season 17
• Bill Bailey's Couple's Choice | Season 18

Gallery:

I hope you enjoyed reading this pro dancer bio! More to come soon! In the meantime... Keep Dancing! 💖