Strictly Come Dancing's professional lineup has been reshaped for 2026 following the departure of five familiar faces, and viewers are being asked to vote on who their least favourite pro is this year.
The mass cull saw Karen Hauer, Gorka Márquez, Nadiya Bychkova, Luba Mushtuk and Michelle Tsiakkas all leave the show, leaving room for five new dancers to join the returning stars.
Who are the new Strictly pros?
The newest names on the lineup are Ukrainian National Latin champion Aleksandra Isaeva, four-time Italian Latin champion Cristian Priori and undefeated South African Latin champion Lethabo Monametsi.
The remaining two newcomers are UK National Ballroom Champion and eight-time Amateur 10-Dance World Champion Maddie Ingoldsby, and two-time Canadian National Latin champion Mark Karmalita.
They join returning pros Alexis Warr, Aljaž Škorjanec, Amy Dowden and last year's winner Carlos Gu on the dancefloor.
Who else is back for 2026?
Also back for 2026 are new mum Dianne Buswell, Jowita Przystał, Julian Caillon, Kai Widdrington, Katya Jones, Lauren Oakley, Nancy Xu, Neil Jones, Nikita Kuzmin and Vito Coppola.
With Karen Hauer's departure after 14 series, Katya Jones - this year paired with Northern Irish influencer John Nellis - has become the longest-serving female dancer on the show, with 10 years under her belt.
The longest-serving male professional dancer is a tie between Aljaž Škorjanec and Neil Jones, who both have 11 seasons under their belt, including this year.
How to vote
Neil does not have a celebrity partner this year, but every pro is part of the group dances, meaning viewers have seen them perform several times throughout the opening two episodes.
As always, some are more popular than others. Viewers can vote now in the Express poll to share their thoughts on this year's lineup, with results to be brought shortly.
