Strictly Come Dancing is back for 2023 with the launch show less than a week away.
A total of fifteen celebs have signed up for this year’s show and Saturday will see them paired up with this year’s professionals.
But with some nineteen pro dancers on the cast, four will be without a celeb partner.
Although the coupled have not yet been officially revealed, it’s reported that Nadiya Bychkova will be one of the pros to miss out.
A source shared with the Mirror: “Nadiya lives and breathes Strictly, and so to hear that she wouldn’t have a celebrity partner this year was crushing for her. She was both gutted, and very, very angry.
“She has come to terms with it over the past few weeks, and will do her best to support Kai during the series. But it was devastating news for her.”
Last year saw Nadiya partnered with Matt Goss with the pair the third to be eliminated.
Meanwhile it’s also rumoured that Neil Jones will be without a partner for the second series running. He was last partnered in 2021 with Nina Wadia where they were first to be eliminated.
A spokesperson for Strictly said: “Whilst not every pro always dances with a celebrity partner, every single one of them is an equally valued and important member of the Strictly family.”
The ‘benched’ pros will still take part in the show’s pro group dances and also perform together with music acts in Sunday’s results show.
Making up the pros alongside Naidya and Neil this year are Dianne Buswell, Vito Coppola, Luba Mushtuk, Graziano Di Prima, Johannes Radebe, Gorka Marquez, Nikita Kuzmin, Kai Widdrington, Carlos Gu and Katya Jones.
Joining them are Amy Dowden, Giovanni Pernice, Nadiya Bychkova, Jowita Przystal, Nancy Xu, Karen Hauer, Michelle Tsiakkas, Neil Jones and Lauren Oakley.
As for the celeb line up, stars this year include soap star Adam Thomas, actor Bobby Brazier, sporting legend Jody Cundy, Corrie star Ellie Leach and tennis star and TV & radio host Annabel Croft.
Also on the line up are Sherlock and Mr Selfridge star Amanda Abbington, Casualty actor Nigel Harman, Love Island star and presenter Zara McDermott, broadcaster Krishnan Guru-Murthy and radio presenter Nikita Kanda.
Completing this season’s cast are television personality Angela Scanlon, radio host Eddie Kadi, journalist and broadcaster Angela Rippon and actor Layton Williams.
Strictly Come Dancing will launch on Saturday, 16 September on BBC One.
