Strictly Come Dancing confirms new pro dancer Nancy Xu

Strictly Come Dancing bosses have announced a brand new pro dancer for the 2019 series.

Following last week’s reveal of new Strictly judge Motsi Mabuse, today the BBC has revealed another addition to the Strictly family.

World-class Latin dancer Nancy Xu joins the pro-dancer line up on their first day of rehearsals for the new series of BBC One’s Strictly Come Dancing.

Nancy said today: “I’m thrilled and excited! I cannot wait to start this new journey with all these amazing people and share the magic together.”

Nancy Xu, 28, from China was a finalist on So You Think You Can Dance in China and a dancer on hit West End and Broadway show Burn The Floor.

A specialist in Latin, Nancy was a finalist in the U21 World Championships in 2010, took third place in the 2010-2012 CBDF National Amateur Latin Championships and was a runner up at the 2013 International Singapore Championships.

She joins the previously confirmed line up of Strictly Come Dancing 2019 pros who were announced earlier this year.

Alongside the addition of Nancy, the only other change from last year is the departure of Pasha Kovalev who announced his exit previously in 2019 “to find a new challenge”.

Making up the male pros for 2019 are AJ Pritchard, Aljaž Škorjanec, Anton Du Beke, Giovanni Pernice, Gorka Marquez, Graziano Di Prima, Johannes Radebe, Kevin Clifton and Neil Jones.

Joining them are, for the women, Amy Dowden, Dianne Buswell, Janette Manrara, Karen Clifton, Katya Jones, Luba Mushtuk, Nadiya Bychkova and Oti Mabuse.

Meanwhile, rumoured Strictly Come Dancing 2019 celebrity contestants include Blue Peter presenter Radzi Chinyanganya, BBC sports presenter Mike Bushell, TV legend Anneka Rice and Made In Chelsea’s Jamie Laing.

Also linked to the show are Radio 1 DJ Dev Griffin, footballer Alex Scott, soap actresses Emma Barton and Catherine Tyldesley, plus Olympic rower James Cracknell.

Strictly Come Dancing will launch in September on BBC One.