Professional Dancer Line-Up 2020

The Strictly Professional Dancers Line-up will remain unchanged from last year minus Kevin Clifton. There will be no new professionals added to replace Clifton but with 17 pros still on the BBC's Strictly books that should be more than adequate.

Hi CC.

AJ has left too. I thought a third male had left too but maybe I was imagining things. Gorka's a similar height to AJ so I guess he'll be back this season.

I wonder if Oti's husband will join this year? He's not super tall and could maybe replace Kevin.

Maybe we'll have another male blow-in from 'Burn the Floor'

Hi there CC and B4P, I hope you're both keeping well in these strange and unsettling times.

I was disappointed to see AJ had quit, and a bit surprised too. Not sure it's a great career move, there's a limit to the amount of reality shows / gameshows etc which he can appear in. But maybe he's got something in the pipeline, time will tell. I do hope that Graziano is given a chance if there's an spare place.

Off on a tangent, but it was good to see Lauren and B.rendan on the SAS series, and especially to see Lauren 'make the grade'.

In terms of Strictly...does anyone think it'll go ahead this year, and if so, will it be significantly different? At the moment it's hard to imagine how the show could go ahead in its usual format.

From the BBC site

Following an epic year for Strictly, which was the highest rating entertainment series of 2019, we're ready to announce some news for 2020.
Returning to the dance floor are our incredible line-up of world class pro-dancers

Oti Mabuse,  
Amy Dowden,  
Janette Manrara,  
Nadiya Bychkova,  
Karen Hauer,  
Luba Mushtuk,  
Katya Jones,  
Nancy Xu,  
Dianne Buswell.

Giovanni Pernice,
Gorka Marquez,
Aljaž Škorjanec,
Neil Jones,
Graziano Di Prima,
AJ Pritchard,
Johannes Radebe,
Housewives choice Du Beke

Hi
CC - did you say that Amy Dowden is now not appearing? Is that definite?
Whilst it took me a while to warm up to her, I have really liked her classic choreography the last couple of years. Would be a shame for her not to be there.

I don't know if this is accurate, but according to DS:

Neil, Nadiya, Nancy and Graziano have been benched

Hi all

I'm not surprised about Nancy - as they have fewer couples this year I didn't think she was ever going to get a look-in over the more experienced pros. I seem to know very little about her really.

More surprised to see Nadiya's name there - although I have never rated her choreography talents very highly to be honest.    It is a shame about Graziano as I've warmed a bit to him but again, not far enough up the pecking order I think.    The one I am cross about is poor Neil being out again - that is a real shame after doing well with Alex last year.      It looks as though Gorka is being given another outing and I suppose there just isn't room for everyone this year..................

Maybe Nadiya (who has a young daughter) and Graziano (who had mentioned getting married later this year or early next) are travelling back and forth abroad and couldn't isolate as well as the others. Without Nadiya, Luba is the next tallest female pro.
I think Nancy missed out to the usual munchkins. I'd like to see what she can do from a choreography point of view.
I think Karen could do with a rest by now.
Neil? Well I don't know what's happening with him. Maybe they're over run with medium height men.
If most of the females are on the short side, it made me wonder about a partner for Johannes.

Just saw a trailer for the new series - Nadiya was on it? Quite prominent too.

I just read what I wrote.........DOH.......Of course she would have been on the trailer because she'll be appearing in the group dances I guess!

I do like the look of the trailer, I wonder will one of the pre-recorded group dances use those costumes. I guess one of the few silver linings of this situation may be that the pro group dances are bigger productions.

Starting to get impatient now!