Professional dancers Katya and Neil Jones have both sustained injuries during rehearsals for the upcoming season of Strictly Come Dancing, forcing a halt to training and jeopardizing their chances of being paired with celebrity contestants. The ex-couple suffered their injuries simultaneously last week, leading to concerns about their recovery time before the series premiere on September 19.
Their injuries meant they missed participating in several pre-recorded group dances, which are aired throughout the series. A source told The Sun that the professional dancers face a demanding schedule for filming these group numbers. "There was a real crisis on set when both Neil and Katya were injured at the same time and there were concerns they wouldn't be able to recover in time for the series start in two weeks," the source stated. Missing out on the group dances is particularly disappointing for dancers who may not be paired with a celebrity, as these performances offer guaranteed screen time.
The new season will also feature new hosts Emma Willis and Josh Widdicombe, who are taking over from Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman. A trailer for the new series showcases the pair alongside professional dancer Johannes Radebe, who assured fans he would still be performing. The trailer also features other professional dancers and judges.
This year's celebrity-professional pairings will be revealed differently. Instead of pre-filmed clips, celebrities will discover their partners live in front of the studio audience during three specially choreographed group dance routines that will open the launch show. The launch show will also provide a behind-the-scenes look at the celebrities' initial rehearsals.
Among the returning professional dancers are Amy Dowden, Dianne Buswell, Carlos Gu, Katya, Neil, Nikita Kuzmin, Jowita Przystał, Aljaž Škorjanec, Alexis Warr, Kai Widdrington, Nancy Xu, Lauren Oakley, Julian Caillon, and Vito Coppola. Professional dancers Nadiya Bychkova, Karen Hauer, Michelle Tsiakkas, Luba Mushtuk, and Gorka Marquez will not be returning for this season.
The celebrity line-up includes Dani Dyer, Delta Goodrem, Jaime Winstone, Will Best, and Melanie Walters. Other contestants include hair stylist Chris Appleton, YouTube personality John Nellis, Paralympian Dame Sarah Storey, actress Bethany Antonia, former footballer Shaun Wright-Phillips, TV presenter Graeme Hall, skeleton racer Tabby Stoecker, Emmerdale actor Lawrence Robb, and former Love Island contestant Cach Mercer.