Amy Dowden was all smiles as she made her way into the first Strictly Come Dancing rehearsals of the year, clutching a coffee. The 35-year-old opted for a cropped black top, matching leggings, black sunglasses and a denim jacket.
New professional dancers announced
Over the weekend, five new professional dancers were unveiled, replacing Gorka Marquez, Michelle Tsiakkas, Karen Hauer, Nadiya Bychkova and Luba Mushtuk. The newcomers are Aleksandra Isaeva, Cristian Priori, Lethabo Monametsi, Maddie Ingoldsby and Mark Karmalita.
They will lead a star-studded line-up including Lacey Turner and Love Island winner Cach Mercer through routines.
Returning professionals and hosts
Amy was joined by Nancy Xu, who flashed a thumbs up, and Alexis Warr. Vito Coppola, who won in 2023, arrived with a huge duffel bag. Lauren Oakley waved on her way in.
Reigning champion CarlosGu, who won last year with Karen Carney, will return alongside Aljaz Skorjanec, Jowita Przystal, Julian Caillon, Kai Widdrington, Katya Jones, Neil Jones and Nikita Kuzmin.
There have been huge changes off the dance floor: Emma Willis, Johannes Radebe and Josh Widdecombe have joined the BBC as new hosts, replacing Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.
Dianne Buswell back after maternity leave
It was an emotional day for Dianne Buswell, who won the competition in 2024 with Chris McCausland, as she returned to work for the first time since giving birth to her son Bowden. On Instagram, she shared a snap cuddling the tot with the caption: "First day back at work. Mummy will miss you so much my boy." She added: "So many lovely positive msgs from other mummas. Thank you all. Means a lot x."
Contestants announced so far
Eight contestants have been announced: Jaime Winstone, Lacey Turner, Dani Dyer, Delta Goodrem, Chris Appleton, Cach Mercer, Will Best and Dame Sarah Storey.
