Strictly Come Dancing welcomes four new professional dancers for the next series in 2021. Poland’s Jowita Przystal, South Africa’s Cameron Lombard, Ukraine’s Nikita Kuzmin and the UK’s Kai Widdrington join the team.
The pro dancer line-up has had a shake up this year as Anton Du Beke and Janette Manrara leave to fulfil other roles on the show. Du Beke is replacing America based Bruno Tonioli on the judging panel. Meanwhile Manrara takes over from Zoe Ball as host of spin-off show Strictly: It Takes Two.
The male pros returning include Aljaž Škorjanec, Giovanni Pernice, Gorka Marquez, Graziano Di Prima, Johannes Radebe and Neil Jones. Alongside them are female professionals Amy Dowden, Dianne Buswell, Karen Hauer, Katya Jones, Luba Mushtuk, Nadiya Bychkova, Nancy Xu and Oti Mabuse.
A dream come true
26 year old Jowita Przystal is no stranger to fellow dancer Oti Mabuse who was a celebrity captain on The Greatest Dancer. Przystal won the second series of the talent show in 2020 with partner Michael Danilczuk.
Przystal describes joining Strictly as her “biggest dream come true”, and is “still pinching” herself to make sure it is real. She says she is “beyond excited” to join the Strictly Come Dancing family and can’t wait to give all of her “heart and soul on that dance floor”.
The Polish performer began ballroom dancing when she was 12 years old and is an Open Latin Champion in her home country. In 2015 she joined the cast of touring dance company Burn the Floor, before moving to the UK in 2019.
Ukraine Nikita Kuzmin, now 23, started dancing at the age of four. He moved to Italy aged nine, where he became a six time Italian champion in Latin and Ballroom. He appeared as a professional dancer on Let’s Dance, the German version of Strictly, last year.
Kuzmin says he has “always been amazed by the magic Strictly Come Dancing brings”, and wherever he is in the world, he never misses watching it. He describes joining the professional line-up as his “big chance to make some magic on the most famous dance floor”. And he can’t wait to give it his all.
A life changing challenge
20 year old Cameron Lombard began competing in his native South Africa at the age of six. He is the current South African Latin champion, and in 2012 reached the finals of South Africa’s Got Talent.
Lombard calls joining Strictly both a “life-changing opportunity and “a challenge” to accept “with both hands”. He is “excited beyond imagination and looking forward to leaving his mark on the dance floor”.
Homegrown Kai Widdrington began dancing at the age of nine, becoming World Junior Latin-American champion by the time he turned 14. In 2012 he appeared on Britain’s Got Talent, and since 2017 is one of the professionals on Ireland’s Dancing with the Stars.
The 25 year old dancer says it is “the most amazing feeling and the biggest accomplishment of my career,” to be a professional on Strictly. He can’t wait to step onto the dance floor and “experience the exciting times that lie ahead”.
Strictly Come Dancing returns on BBC1 later this year for its 19th series. Last year saw comedian Bill Bailey crowned as champion with dance partner Oti Mabuse. She also won the previous year with actor Kelvin Fletcher.
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