Strictly Come Dancing: New pro dancers join team

Four new professional dancers will be joining the line-up for Strictly Come Dancing when the series returns this autumn.

The dancers stepping into the Strictly ballroom come from South Africa, Ukraine, Poland and the UK and are Kai Widdrington, Nikita Kuzmin, Cameron Lombard and Jowita Przystal.

They join the professional dancers already revealed for the upcoming series: Aljaž Škorjanec, Amy Dowden, Dianne Buswell, Giovanni Pernice, Gorka Marquez, Graziano Di Prima, Johannes Radebe, Karen Hauer, Katya Jones, Luba Mushtuk, Nadiya Bychkova, Nancy Xu, Neil Jones, and Oti Mabuse.

Meet the new pros

Jowita Przystal started ballroom dancing at the age of 12 and is a Polish Open Latin Champion.

In 2015 she ended her competitive Ballroom and Latin career to join the cast of touring dance company, 'Burn The Floor' where she stayed for four years before moving to the UK in 2019.

Under the mentorship of Strictly Champion, Oti Mabuse, she won the BBC's 'The Greatest Dancer' in 2020, and the prize of performing on Strictly Come Dancing.

She said: "No words can describe how I feel right now. I'm still pinching myself to check if this is real but I am beyond excited to be joining the Strictly Come Dancing family and I can't wait to give all of my heart and soul on that dance floor!"

Kai Widdrington was all set to follow in his dad's footsteps by becoming a professional footballer, but aged 9 decided to take up dancing instead - by the time he was 14 he became the World Junior Latin-American champion.

As well as competing, Kai appeared on 'Britain's Got Talent' in 2012 aged 16 and made it to the final.

Kai has been a professional dancer on 'Dancing With The Stars' in Ireland since its first series in 2017. He finished twice as Runner-up on the show in 2018 and 2020.

Kai says: "This is my childhood dream come true. Watching Strictly from the very first series as a young boy from Southampton and now 18 years later, to be a professional dancer on the show is the most amazing feeling and the biggest accomplishment of my career."

Nikita Kuzmin was born in Ukraine and lived there until he was 9 years old when his family moved to Italy to support his sister's dancing career.

He started dancing aged 4 after initially wanting to do karate like his hero Jackie Chan. During his nine years in Italy, Nikita became six-times Italian Champion in Latin and Ballroom.

In 2020 Nikita was a professional dancer on Let's Dance, Germany's version of Strictly Come Dancing.

Nikita said: "No matter what country I have found myself living in, I've never missed a chance to watch it. And joining it as a professional dancer is my big chance to make some magic on the most famous dance floor. I can't wait to give it my all!"

Cameron Lombard is the reigning South African Latin Champion and has won eighteen national titles across Ballroom and Latin during his dance career.

He started competing aged 6, and within a year he was already winning local and regional competitions! In 2012 he was a finalist on South Africa's Got Talent and in 2019 he represented South Africa at the World Championships.

He says: "Thank you Strictly Come Dancing for this life-changing opportunity. Not only is this a dream come true but a challenge I am accepting with both hands."