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Entertainment
Simon Duke

Strictly's new professional line-up confirmed including Aljaz and Oti's replacements

The professional line-up for Strictly Come Dancing has been confirmed, including two dancers who will replace Aljaž Škorjanec and Oti Mabuse and get a celebrity partner for the first time.

Fans of the hit BBC show were devastated when Oti confirmed she was leaving Strictly e arlier this year, weeks after making her debut as a judge on ITV's Dancing on Ice. In a statement about her departure, the two time champion pro said: "It's never easy to say goodbye. I have been part of the most amazing TV show, Strictly Come Dancing for the past seven years and it has been an incredible time.

"Lifting the glitter ball twice and having the best journey with all my celebrities, but also meeting and working with the best team, crew, producers, celebs and incredible professional dancers! You are my family and I adore you all forever."

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Strictly viewers were then dealt a further blow just this week when Aljaz, who won with Abbey Clancy in his first series back in 2013, announced he was quitting too, telling fans: "t didn’t matter how many beautiful ballrooms I performed in during my competitive career, stepping onto the sacred Strictly floor was the most nervous I had ever been."

Well now the replacements for both Oti and Aljaz have been revealed and both of the new dancers will be familiar to people who went to the Strictly live tour this year.

The new Strictly pro line-up was unveiled on Thursday's Morning Live and among the dancers for the new series are Cameron Lombard and Jowita Pryztal. While both have danced in group numbers before, neither have partnered a celebrity before for a full series, although Jowita did partner Adrian Chiles in December's Christmas special.

As well as being on the tour, Jowita was the 2020 winner of The Greatest Dancer, with her victory seeing her perform in the Strictly ballroom just last year. Cameron, 20, has won 18 national titles across Ballroom and Latin, and is the current reigning South African Latin Champion. In 2012, he was a finalist on South Africa's Got Talent.

All of the other pros from Strictly 2021 are back this year. Last year's show was won by Rose Ayling-Ellis and Giovanni Pernice, who recently reunited for a performance on Comic Relief.

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