Pro Changes For 2017

There will be three changes to the pro line-up for the 2017 series of Strictly, the BBC has announced.

Natalie Lowe announced last month that she would not be returning for another series.

Joanne Clifton will step down to focus on her stage career. She said: "Being part of the Strictly experience has been one of the best things that has ever happened to me and I will miss the show so much. It’s been a tough decision but I am looking forward to facing new challenges and focusing on my musical theatre career.”

Oksana Platero will also not return. She said: “I just want to say thank you to everyone involved with Strictly. Last year was my first season and I had an unforgettable time working alongside such amazing dancers and an even better time with Judge Rinder. It was an opportunity of a lifetime and I will never forget it. Thank you so much for the memories.”

Joining the line-up are Dianne Buswell, Nadiya Bychkova and Amy Dowden.

Aussie Dianne was a pro on the Australian Dancing With The Stars in 2015. She has also appeared in Burn The Floor (of course!) on Broadway, and is currently on tour with Giovanni Pernice. She said: “What an honour it is to be a part of Strictly Come Dancing. Words can’t describe how excited I am to take on this amazing challenge and give it my everything. See you on the dance floor!”

Nadiya is from Ukraine, and was a pro on the Bosnian version of Strictly. She has won many ballroom and Latin titles. She said: “I'm extremely happy to be joining the Strictly Come Dancing family this year. One of my biggest dreams is to be part of this great show and I can't wait to get started!"

Caerphilly native Amy is a British National champion. She said: “Becoming a professional dancer on Strictly Come Dancing has made my wildest dreams come true, it does not feel real! I have always been proud of my Welsh roots and feel so honoured to be the first Welsh professional dancer on the most loved show on TV.”

The male pro line-up remains unchanged. I am really sorry to see Oksana leave so soon. She did a really good job with Robert Rinder, and I would love to have seen how she would have got on with an even stronger partner.

I don't think anyone will be surprised by Joanne's decision. Things seem to be going well for her on stage at the moment.

I'll be interested to see how the new pros get on. I also really hope that Neil is part of the competition this year. I really enjoyed his bits for It Takes Two last year, and I would love to see how he would get on with a celebrity partner. I also hope Chloe gets a partner. It's really hard for new pros to establish themselves when they are not part of the competition. Chloe and Neil were helped by the fact their their partners were part of the main show. It's much easier to keep involved that way.