Strictly Come Dancing has signed two new professional dancers for its upcoming series, following Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima’s dramatic departure from the hit BBC show

Strictly Come Dancing returns to the BBC later this year(Image: PA/BBC)

Strictly Come Dancing has unveiled two brand new pros joining the lineup, the BBC has revealed.

Joining the glitzy ballroom this autumn are Alexis Warr from the U.S. and Australia’s Julian Caillon, both set to make their debut on the hit BBC One series. Warr made history in 2022 as the first female ballroom and Latin dancer to win So You Think You Can Dance, earning the title of America’s favourite dancer.

On joining Strictly Come Dancing, Warr said: “I’ve admired Strictly for years, so joining this incredible family is such an honour. I can’t wait to step into the ballroom, pour my heart into every moment, and share my love of dance with the UK.”

Caillon, who specialises in ballroom and Latin American, has appeared as a professional dancer for three seasons of Australia’s version of Strictly Come Dancing, titled Australia’s Dancing With The Stars.

The dancers are gearing up for an exciting season on Strictly Come Dancing

He said: “Joining the cast of Strictly really is a dream come true. I’ve watched it for years, especially cheering on all the amazing dancers I know and work with who’ve been part of it,” adding, “I can’t wait to get stuck in, have some fun, and be part of something special!”

The newcomers will join the current cast of professional dancers, which includes Dianne Buswell, Nadiya Bychkova, Amy Dowden, Karen Hauer, and Katya Jones.

Neil Jones will also return in the autumn along with Nikita Kuzmin, Gorka Marquez, Luba Mushtuk, and Jowita Przystal.

The new series, hosted by recent MBE recipients, Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly, will also welcome back Johannes Radebe, Aljaz Skorjanec, Kai Widdrington, Nancy Xu, Carlos Gu, Lauren Oakley, Michelle Tsiakkas and Vito Coppola.

Warr and Caillon will join the professionals each week for group routines, music acts, theme weeks and Strictly’s annual trip to Blackpool. Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke and Shirley Ballas will also return to the judging panel.

Two new faces have joined the professional dancers’ line-up

Sarah James, executive producer at BBC Studios, said: “We’ve been big fans of Alexis and Julian for some time, so it’s with great excitement that we now welcome them both to the Strictly family.

“They’re two incredible dancers with bright futures ahead of them, and we know viewers are going to love getting to know them both.”

Kalpna Patel-Knight, head of entertainment at the BBC, added: “Alexis and Julian are the perfect additions to Strictly, and we can’t wait for you to see them light up the ballroom this autumn.

“With our fantastic professional dancers, plus everything else we love about Strictly, the new series promises to be bigger, better and even more glitter-packed than ever before.”

The news comes after the series faced a string of incidents this year, including Welsh tenor and former BBC Radio Wales presenter, Wynne Evans, being dropped by the broadcaster after he made an apology saying that he used “inappropriate language” during the launch of the Strictly Come Dancing tour.

Months later, EastEnders star James Borthwick was also suspended from the BBC after a video emerged of the actor using a disabled slur on the set of the dance programme.

Strictly Come Dancing will return to BBC One and iPlayer this autumn.