Strictly Come Dancing has revealed that two brand-new professional dancers have joined the cast of the BBC dancing competition for 2025.
Alexis Warr, former winner of the US series So You Think You Can Dance in 2022, and Julian Caillon, a ballroom TV star from Australia, will arrive on the Strictly dancefloor when the show returns this autumn.
The pair’s casting comes over a year after the professional troupe’s numbers depleted by two, following the departures of Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima after they separately faced allegations of misconduct.
Warr, from the American state Utah, is no stranger to dancing competitions – she has competed on the US version of Strictly, Dancing with the Stars, as well as performing on America’s Got Talent, World of Dance and several national tours of the US. During her time on So You Think You Can Dance, she was crowned as “America’s Favourite Dancer”, becoming the first female ballroom and Latin dancer to claim the title.
Caillon, who has been dancing since he was 10, appeared as a professional dancer on three seasons of Australia’s Dancing with the Stars, has toured the world with the hit dance company Burn the Floor, and also competed on So You Think You Can Dance in Australia.
Warr said in a statement that it was an “honour” to join the cast after years of admiring the show. “I can’t wait to step into the ballroom, pour my heart into every moment, and share my love of dance with the UK,” she said.
Caillon called the new role a “dream come true”, saying: “I’ve watched it for years, especially cheering on all the amazing dancers I know and work with who’ve been part of it,” he said. “I can’t wait to get stuck in, have some fun, and be part of something special! «
They will be joining returning professionals Dianne Buswell – who won the BBC dance competition with Chris McCausland in 2024 – alongside Nadiya Bychkova, Katya Jones, Neil Jones, Nikita Kuzmin, Gorka Marquez, Luba Mushtuk and Jowita Przystal.
Amy Dowden, who pulled out of last year’s competition following a foot injury, will also return to the show. She will be joined by Carlos Gu, Kai Widdrington, Johannes Radebe, Aljaž Škorjanec Nancy Xu, Lauren Oakley, Michelle Tsiakkas and Vito Coppola who will all take to the floor once more.
Karen Hauer, 42, also secured a space on the line up, despite previous reports claiming the show’s longest-serving dancer was set to be axed by bosses.
The professionals cast lost two members when Pernice was dropped from the 2024 series after actor Amanda Abbington made a series of allegations about his behaviour, when they were partnered together on the programme in 2023. Di Prima, was also axed from the series over allegations regarding his treatment of his celebrity partner Zara McDermott.
Pernice denied allegations of “threatening and abusive behaviour,” while Di Prima said he “deeply regrets” the events that led to his departure.
Judges Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke and head judge Shirley Ballas all return to the glittery panel for the 2025 series, with recent MBE recipients Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman back on hosting duties.
Sarah James, Executive Producer, BBC Studios, said in a statement: “We’ve been big fans of Alexis and Julian for some time so it’s with great excitement that we now welcome them both to the Strictly family. They’re two incredible dancers with bright futures ahead of them, and we know viewers are going to love getting to know them both.”
The celebrity contestants for the 2025 series are yet to be revealed, but rumoured names include Sort Your Life Out presenter Stacey Solomon, Neighbours star Stefan Dennis, EastEnders actor Bovinder Sopal, Geordie Shore ‘s Vicky Pattison, Olympic athlete Mo Farah and Love Island star Dani Dyer, the daughter of actor Danny Dyer.
Tom Parker-Bowles, the MasterChef judge who is the son of Queen Camilla, is also rumoured. Find out more here.
