If you needed a reminder that a new series of ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ was just around the corner, this photo of the professional dancers’ first week back at work should do it.
The pros all reunited on Wednesday (2 August) as they begun planning their routines for the return of the BBC ballroom competition next month.
Strictly’s official Twitter account posted a picture of them all in a studio, along with the caption: “Getting ready for #Strictly 2017. It’s the first week of rehearsals for our pros!”
Returning pro dancers AJ Pritchard, Anton Du Beke, Brendan Cole, Chloe Hewitt, Giovanni Pernice, Gorka Marquez, Karen Clifton, Katya Jones, Kevin Clifton, Neil Jones, Oti Mabuse and Pasha Kovalev were all in attendance, and were also joined by three new faces.
Newcomers Amy Dowden, Dianne Buswell and Nadiya Bychkova have joined the team to replace reigning champion Joanne Clifton, Natalie Lowe and Oksana Platero, who all stepped down earlier this month.
The team are eagerly waiting to meet the new batch of celebrities who will be appearing on the 15th series of ‘Strictly’.
While official announcements about the line-up are expected imminently, those who have been linked to the show so far include Bros singer Matt Goss, fitness guru Joe Wicks, former ‘X Factor’ winner Alexandra Burke, daytime presenter Ruth Langsford, and The One Show’s Angela Scanlon.
The pros will find out who their partner will be when they record the special launch show on Tuesday 5 September, which is then likely to be broadcast on Saturday 9 September.
The new series will also see the arrival of new judge Shirley Ballas, who is replacing former Head Judge Len Goodman on the panel.