Strictly Come Dancing reveals Latin specialist Nancy Xu as new pro-dancer

Nancy Yu new Strictly Come Dancing 2019 dancer

Nancy 'thrilled' to be joining pro team

Strictly Come Dancing has revealed that Latin specialist Nancy Xu will be joining their professional dancing line-up for the new series of the BBC1 hit.

The 28-year-old Chinese star, who’s celebrating her birthday today, certainly has an amazing dancing CV – she was a finalist on So You Think You Can Dance in China and was a dancer on top West End and Broadway show Burn The Floor.

Nancy was also a finalist in the U21 World Championships in 2010, took third place in the 2010-2012 CBDF National Amateur Latin Championships and was a runner up at the 2013 International Singapore Championships.

Talking about landing the dancing gig on Strictly Come Dancing, she said: “I'm thrilled and excited! I cannot wait to start this new journey with all these amazing people and share the magic together.”

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Nancy is teaming up with AJ Pritchard, Aljaz Skorjanec, 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, as they begin pro dancer rehearsals ahead of the new run.

Motsi Strictly Come Dancing 2019

Motsi will be jointing the Strictly judging panel when the show returns in the autumn (Picture: BBC) (Image credit: BBC/Ray Burmiston)

Last week it was revealed that Oti’s sister Motsi Mabuse will be the new Strictly Come Dancing judge, replacing Dame Darcey Bussell, who announced her departure from the show’s judging panel earlier this year.

South African born Motsi said last week: “I am absolutely overjoyed to be joining the Strictly panel. I have so much respect and admiration for the other three judges and hope to add my own bit of sparkle to the show. I can’t wait to get started!”

Motsi will be joining current judges Craig Revel Horwood, Bruno Toniolo and Shirley Ballas on the panel.

Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC1 for its 17th series this autumn.

David Hollingsworth
Editor

David is the What To Watch Editor and has over 20 years of experience in television journalism. He is currently writing about the latest television and film news for What To Watch.


Before working for What To Watch, David spent many years working for TV Times magazine, interviewing some of television's most famous stars including Hollywood actor Kiefer Sutherland, singer Lionel Richie and wildlife legend Sir David Attenborough. 


David started out as a writer for TV Times before becoming the title's deputy features editor and then features editor. During his time on TV Times, David also helped run the annual TV Times Awards. David is a huge Death in Paradise fan, although he's still failed to solve a case before the show's detective! He also loves James Bond and controversially thinks that Timothy Dalton was an excellent 007.


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