It is not just the celebrities who will be stepping into the ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ ballroom for the first time this weekend, as three new pros will also be making their debut.
Dianne Buswell, Nadiya Bychkova and Amy Dowden have all joined the professional dancing team, following the departures of Natalie Lowe, Joanne Clifton and Oksana Platero.
Ahead of their first appearance on the BBC ballroom show on Saturday (9 September) - when they will also find out who their celeb partner will be - get to know them a little better with our 9 Facts In 90 Seconds guide...
1. Aussie dancer Dianne Buswell has certainly got the credentials to appear on ‘Strictly’, having previously been crowned Australian Open Champion and four-time Amateur Australian Open Finalist.
2. Dianne is no stranger to the format either, having been a pro on the last series of ‘Dancing With The Stars Australia’ in 2015, where she was fifth to be eliminated with partner Jude Bolton.
3. Dianne has been part of the Broadway production of ‘Burn The Floor’ since 2011.
4. Nadiya Bychkova from Ukraine is a two-time World Champion and European Champion in ballroom and Latin ‘10’ Dance. She is also multiple-time Slovenian ballroom and Latin Champion.
5. Nadiya has previously taken part in the Bosnian version of ‘Strictly’, and can also do hip-hop dancing.
6. She is already pals with fellow professional dancer Aljaž Skorjanec, having trained at the same dance school in Slovenia. “It’s really nice to come here and see a familiar face,” she says.
7. Amy Dowden is from Caerphilly, and is the first ever Welsh professional on ‘Strictly’.
8. She is the current British National Champion and one of the highest-ranking Ballroom and Latin American professional dancers in the UK. Amy is also a four-time British National Finalist and in 2015, she reached the semi-final of the World Championship.
9. Amy says: “Off the dancefloor, I may come across as cute, innocent and sweet, but as soon as I put my dance shoes on, I am passionate, determined and competitive. Many of my students would say I am very strict and a bit of a perfectionist.”
‘Strictly Come Dancing’ launches on Saturday 9 September at 7pm on BBC One.
