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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Entertainment
Katie Rosseinsky

Strictly Come Dancing confirms professional line-up for 2020

Strictly Come Dancing’s line-up of professionals will remain unchanged in 2020, following the departure of Kevin Clifton.

The professional dancer, 37, quit the show this month, saying “the time has come to move on and focus on other areas of my life and career”.

BBC One bosses have not added any new dancers to the roster.

Male dancers AJ Pritchard, Aljaz Skorjanec, Anton Du Beke, Giovanni Pernice, Gorka Marquez, Graziano Di Prima, Johannes Radebe and Neil Jones will all return.

Du Beke, right, is back for his 18th Strictly series (PA)

Du Beke, who is the show’s longest-serving professional, will celebrate his 18th series of Strictly.

And female professionals Amy Dowden, Dianne Buswell, Janette Manrara, Karen Hauer, Katya Jones, Luba Mushtuk, Nancy Xu, Nadiya Bychkova and Oti Mabuse will also feature.

Latin specialist Xu, who was not given a celebrity partner in 2019, will make her second appearance under the Glitterball.

All of the show's female professionals will be returning (PA)

Executive producer of BBC Studios Sarah James said: “It’s wonderful to welcome back so many talented individuals within this year’s line-up of Strictly Come Dancing professional dancers.

“They are each at the top of their game and as a cast are simply incredible. We can’t wait to see what magic they will bring to the ballroom this year.

“Strictly 2020 promises to be an unforgettable series, with more exceptional choreography and world-class dancing.”

Controller of BBC Entertainment Kate Phillips said: “We are very proud of Strictly Come Dancing and our professional dancers.

“They are undoubtedly in a class of their own and they’ll be back in force this autumn to put our class of 2020 through their paces, providing another series of unmissable TV!”

With reporting by Press Association​

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