Despite suspicions about who has left the BBC One show, Giovanni Pernice, Gorka Marquez, and Karen Hauer will undoubtedly return to the dance floor for the upcoming season of Strictly Come Dancing.
With Helen Skelton and Gorka in the final, Hamza Yassin and Jowita Pryzstal held the glitterball trophy in the previous series.
In 2021, Giovanni and Rose Ayling-Ellis won the competition. For their outstanding silent dance, the duo later won a Bafta for must-see moment.
Along with Dianne Buswell, Nadiya Bychkova, Graziano Di Prima, Amy Dowden, Karen, Katya Jones, Neil Jones, and Nikita Kuzmin, the 32-year-old will return to Strictly.
Gorka, Luba Mushtuk, Jowita, Johannes Radebe, Kai Widdrington, Nancy Xu, Carlos Gu, Lauren Oakley, Michelle Tsiakkas, and Vita Coppola round out the cast.
Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke, and chief judge Shirley Ballas will all be back as judges.
This follows allegations that Shirley received a “take it or leave it” offer after admitting the toll trolling had put on her.
She admitted that after receiving hundreds of ‘really nasty’ comments criticising her decisions to send participants home, she had reached a ‘all-time low’ due to the criticism from viewers at home.
Reports said that Shirley had been offered a rise and emphasised that the team cares profoundly about her “wellbeing” after she suggested that her return is “in the process”
Giovanni previously spoke about fearing burnout, admitting he knows he ‘can’t dance forever’.
He said to Spencer Matthews on his Big Fish podcast: ‘Money, is not a big deal, because unless you’re poor or you can’t eat, what changes if you’ve got £1 or £100? Yes, it makes life better but that’s not what life is about.
‘For me, life is about achievement, goals, you want to be the best. You want to be different to anyone else, you don’t want to be a number, you want to be somebody people remember for what you do.’
Despite being so focused on his profession, Giovanni is concerned about burnout.
Spencer asked: ‘You say that you work so much that you have a three-day holiday every year and on that holiday you get bored. Are you ever worried about burnout?’
Giovanni replied: ‘Physically yes, because obviously I can’t dance forever.’
He continued: ‘Dancing is like being a footballer, you don’t play football forever or dance forever.
‘But I know that have to ride the wave.
‘My legs are still going, my body is still going, so go for it Giovanni, you will rest when all of these things don’t work anymore.’
Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC One later this year.
Who are the Strictly Come Dancing professionals?
Amy Dowden
Amy, one of the top ballroom and latin dancers in the UK, started dancing at the age of eight, has competed in the British National Finals four times, and eventually won the title of British National Champion. Amy, who is from Caerphilly, South Wales, who grew up watching Strictly Come Dancing, joined the show as a professional dancer in 2017. She danced with CBBC’s Karim Zeroual all the way to the final in 2019; more recently, she paired EastEnders actor James Bye.
Carlos Gu
Carlos Gu, the 2017 UK Open’s Amateur Latin Rising Star Runner Up and multiple-time global semifinalist, won the Chinese National Championship in 2016. He also finished third in the German Open Championship. He became a professional dancer on Strictly Come Dancing in 2022, dancing with Molly Rainford from CBBC. Together, they made it to the finals and finished in second place behind Fleur East and Helen Skelton.
Dianne Buswell
Australian Open champion and four-time finalist in the amateur competition is Dianne Buswell. Before entering the UK series in 2017, she was a professional dancer on the Australian season of Strictly Come Dancing. In 2018, Dianne and Joe Sugg, her dance partner, made it to the Strictly final. She has since danced with Radio DJ Dev Gryphon, Max George from The Wanted, and DJ Tyler West from the last series, who took her all the way to Blackpool.
Giovanni Pernice
The longest-tenured male professional on the current roster of Strictly dancers is Italian Champion Giovanni Pernice, who joined the programme in 2015. Georgia May Foote, Debbie McGee, Faye Tozer, and Michelle Visage are just a few of his famous consorts. He won the Strictly Glitterball trophy in 2021 while dancing with Rose Ayling-Ellis, earning Giovanni his first Strictly victory. Richie Anderson of Radio 2 was his most recent companion.
Gorka Marquez
At the age of twelve, Gorka Marquez started dancing. He competed for Spain at the 2010 World Latin Championships and advanced to the 2012 WDSF World Cup semifinals. Gorka joined Strictly in 2016 after travelling the globe with the dance exhibition Burn the Floor. He has now danced in three finals, most recently in 2022 with Helen Skelton after performing with Alexandra Burke in 2017 and Maisie Smith in 2020.
Graziano Di Prima
Graziano Di Prima, an Italian Latin champion, joined Strictly Come Dancing in 2018. Vick Hope and Judi Love have been among of his celebrity partners, and in 2021, Graziano and celebrity partner Anne-Marie won Strictly Christmas. Most recently, Graziano and partner Kym Marsh advanced all the way to the Quarterfinals. Prior to Strictly, Graziano competed for Belgium at the World Championships and finished in the top 24 at the Under 21 Latin World Championships in addition to representing his native nation.
Johannes Radebe
South African Latin Amateur Champion three times and South African Latin Professional Champion twice are Johannes Radebe. He participated in two seasons of Strictly Come Dancing South Africa and twice made it to the final. He started the competition in 2018 and in 2021, he and celebrity baker John Whaite formed the first all-male partnership on the UK version of the competition programme. Together, they competed in the final and finished second in the series. Ellie Taylor, actress and comedian, was his most recent companion.
Jowita Przystal
Jowita Przystal was the 2015 Polish Open Latin Champion, ended her career as a competitor to join the cast of the travelling dance group “Burn the Floor.” She remained with the company for four years until relocating to the UK in 2019 to pursue her dancing goals. Jowita won the BBC competition “The Greatest Dancer” in 2020, earning the right to perform in the Strictly ballroom. In 2021, she formally became a member of the Strictly professional cast. Jowita’s first celebrity partner in the previous season was Hamza Yassin, and together they won the competition, making Jowita the current reigning Strictly champion.
Kai Widdrington
Kai Widdrington, who was born in Southampton, was planning to play professional football like his father, but at age 9 he changed his mind and started dancing. He won the title of World Junior Latin Champion at the age of 14. In 2021, Kai became a professional dancer on Strictly, and TV host AJ Odudu was his first famous partner. Due to an injury, the duo danced all the way to the Strictly final but regrettably had to leave. The Strictly Christmas champions, along with his Christmas partner actress Alexandra Mardell, were Kai and Kaye Adams from the previous season.
Karen Hauer
Karen, who is originally from Venezuela, immigrated to the US when she was eight years old, where she went on to win the American Rhythm Rising Star Championship, the Professional World Mambo Championship, and make an appearance on the So You Think You Can Dance television programme. The current professional lineup’s longest-tenured Strictly dancer, Karen, is back for her eleventh season. She has collaborated with Jeremy Vine, Mark Wright, Chris Ramsey, Jamie Laing, Greg Wise, and most recently comic Jayde Adams over the years.
Katya Jones
Russian-born world-renowned Latin dancer Katya Jones was born in Saint-Petersburg. She won three times as the World Amateur Latin Champion, four times as the unbeaten British National Professional Champion, and the World Professional Latin Showdance Championship while competing for England. In her second year on the show, Katya won the season of Strictly Come Dancing with Joe McFadden. Ed Balls, Nicola Adams, Adam Peaty, and most recently footballing great Tony Adams are a few of her other Strictly students.
Lauren Oakley
Lauren Oakley, who was born in Birmingham, began dancing at the age of two and quickly entered competitions. Early achievements include winning both the Ballroom and Latin categories as the Juvenile Champion at the famous Blackpool Dance Festival. Prior to considering a career in theatre, Lauren was also named the Under 21 British National Champion. She has performed all throughout the world, and in 2022, she became a member of the Strictly Come Dancing family.
Luba Mushtuk
Russian-born Luba Mushtuk has won the Italian Dance Championship four times and placed in the finals of both the Latin European Championship and the Italian Open Latin Show Dance. Before joining the cast of Strictly Come Dancing as a professional dancer in 2018, Luba worked there for several years as an assistant choreographer. In the main series, she has danced with two famous partners: Jason Bell in 2020 and James Cracknell in 2019.
Michelle Tsiakkas
Michelle Tsiakkas, a champion in the Latin dance genre, began dancing at the age of six in her native Cyprus. Before relocating to London for her studies, she won national championships there without losing a match from 2001 to 2011. She carried on competing while living in the UK, competing for England in important world competitions. Michelle began performing in the group numbers and musical routines of Strictly Come Dancing in 2022 after joining the professional cast.
Nadiya Bychkova
Dancer Nadiya Bychkova is from Ukraine and has won several awards. She has won both the European and World Latin ’10’ Dance Championships thrice. In addition to dancing alongside famous partners including Davood Ghadami, Lee Ryan, David James, and Dan Walker, Nadiya joined Strictly Come Dancing in 2017. She danced with Matt Goss in the prior season.
Nancy Xu
World-class Latin dancer Nancy Xu placed in the top three at the 2010 Under 21 World Championships. In her native China, she also advanced to the finals of So You Think You Can Dance. Nancy joins Strictly in 2019, participating in the music acts and group routines. Together with her celebrity partners, actor Will Mellor in 2022 and CBBC broadcaster Rhys Stephenson in 2021, Nancy has advanced to the competition’s semifinal round.
Neil Jones
Neil Jones has won the World Amateur Latin Championships three times and is a four-time unbeaten British National Professional Champion. He won over 45 championships worldwide throughout his professional career and was named the World Professional Latin Showdance Champion in 2015. Since 2016, Neil has competed on Strictly Come Dancing with actors and comedians Nina Wadia and professional football player Alex Scott as his celebrity partners.
Nikita Kuzmin
Nikita left his native Ukraine at the age of nine, emigrated to Italy, and excelled there, winning six Italian Championships. Before entering the UK series in 2021, he participated on Let’s Dance, Germany’s equivalent of Strictly Come Dancing. Tilly Ramsay was his first celebrity partner in the UK, and the two of them advanced to week 10 of the competition. Ellie Simmonds, a paralympic swimmer, was his most recent companion.
Vito Coppola
11-time Italian Latin American champion Vito Coppola started dancing at the age of six and was competing in national competitions by the time he was ten. His accomplishments include winning the European Cup and reaching the finals of the World Championship three times. He quit competing in 2021 and joined the Italian season of Strictly Come Dancing, where he took first place in his first season. He joined Strictly Come Dancing in 2022 and reached the Strictly final while dancing with Fleur East. Along with Molly Rainford and Helen Skelton, Vito came in second.
