New pro-dancer for Strictly 2019

Latin specialist Nancy Xu joins the professional dancer line-up as rehearsals begin for Strictly Come Dancing 2019.

“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

Strictly Come Dancing is expected to return to BBC One with its seventeenth series in early September and rehearsals have gotten underway on the professional dancer routines that will feature throughout the series 

The professional line up for the upcoming series also includes AJ Pritchard, Aljaž Škorjanec, Amy Dowden, Anton du Beke, Dianne Buswell, Giovanni Pernice, Gorka Marquez, Graziano Di Prima, Janette Manrara, Johannes Radebe, Karen Hauer, Katya Jones, Kevin Clifton, Luba Mushtuk, Nadiya Bychkova, Neil Jones and Oti Mabuse. 

Nancy from China was a finalist on So You Think You Can Dance in her home country, and has appeared in the hit West End and Broadway show Burn The Floor.

The 28-year-old Latin specialist was a finalist in the U21 World Championships in 2010, took third place in the 2010-2012 CBDF National Amateur Latin Championships and came runner up at the 2013 International Singapore Championships.

Earlier this month, the Beeb announced Motsi Mabuse as the new judge on Strictly Come Dancing, taking over from Dame Darcey Bussell who announced her intention to step down from the show in April.