Strictly Come Dancing new professional dancers revealed
- Published
Three new professional dancers are joining this year's Strictly Come Dancing line-up.
Dancing With The Stars' Gleb Savchenko will join alongside Italian dance champion Giovanni Pernice and eight-times South African Latin American champion Otlile Mabuse.
Favourites Ola Jordan, Brendan Cole, Anton Du Beke and Kristina Rihanoff will be back.
But Iveta Lukosiute and Trent Whiddon will not be returning.
And Robin Windsor, who had to pull out of last year's series due to a back injury, will also not feature in the forthcoming series.
Lukosiute, who partnered rugby player Thom Evans last year, has been on the show for three years.
She said it was a "pleasure to be part of this wonderful show".
She said she will focus this year on her dance school in New York but "will be more than happy to stay involved with the show in the future".
Australian Trent, who had previously appeared on Australian and American versions of the show, was brought in last year to replace the injured Windsor.
As partner to one of last year's favourites, singer Pixie Lott, he was often top of the leader board.
He said he "was very happy to be part of last season and very thankful for the opportunity".
Windsor said he was "devastated" to miss out on last year's series due to injury.
Today he tweeted, external his sadness at leaving.
Fans have been tweeting their dismay at losing him.
Lisa Riley, who partnered Windsor in 2012, tweeted he would be "a huge loss to the programme".
"Sad day today finding out the PHENOMENAL @Robinwindsor will not be back on Strictly!He will be a HUGE loss to the programme! Love him"
There had been a lot of press speculation at the end of the last series suggesting Jordan might not return to the show.
Jordan - whose husband James was formerly on the show - had signed up for the C4 reality show The Jump but she was injured before the programme began earlier this year.
She underwent knee surgery - amid fears for her dancing career - but is returning again to join the 16-strong line-up this autumn.
Also back is Kevin Clifton along with his sister Joanne and fiance Karen Hauer.
He tweeted, external that he would miss the three departing dancers, adding that they had all been a "pleasure to work with".
The show returns to BBC One for its 13th series in the autumn when the celebrity line-up will be revealed.
The Full Line up
Male Dancers 2015
Aljaž Škorjanec
Anton Du Beke
Brendan Cole
Giovanni Pernice
Gleb Savchenko
Kevin Clifton
Pasha Kovalev
Tristan MacManus
Women Dancers 2015
Aliona Vilani
Janette Manrara
Joanne Clifton
Karen Hauer
Kristina Rihanoff
Natalie Lowe
Ola Jordan
Otlile Mabuse
- Published6 August 2014
- Published9 January 2015