Who is Strictly Come Dancing's Michelle Tsiakkas? The dancer who has never had a partner
The new series of Strictly Come Dancing kicks off on Saturday night and one pro tipped to secure a celebrity partner for the first time is Michelle Tsiakkas. While there are professional dancers every year on Strictly, showcasing stunning routines throughout the series, not all of them are paired up.
Nadiya Bychkova was notably 'overlooked' by producers last year and fans have lamented for years that Neil Jones 'never gets' a partner. There have been several changes to the Strictly pro line-up for 2024, including the departures of both Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima and the unexpected comeback of Aljaz Skorjanec, 11 years after his sole Strictly win with Abbey Clancy.
Vito Coppola returns for his third stint in the BBC ballroom, nearly a year after his victory with Ellie Leach, while fan favourites like Johannes Radebe, Dianne Buswell and Gorka Marquez are also back. Amy Dowden, who is thrilled to be back, is expected to have a partner this year after her cancer treatment forced her to mostly observe from the sidelines last year. Another dancer to watch out for is Michelle.
Who is Strictly's Michelle Tsiakkas?
Michelle, 28, is a Latin dance champion who began dancing at the age of six in her native Cyprus, reports Chronicle Live. There she became an undefeated champion, winning national titles consecutively from 2001-2011 before relocating to London to study.
Michelle, who has represented England at various dance championships and toured the UK with the popular show 'Burn the Floor', shared her excitement about joining the Strictly family. She said: "Being a professional dancer on Strictly Come Dancing has been my dream ever since I was a little girl. I cannot believe my dream has come true" and added, "I'm so grateful to be joining this incredible family and I can't wait to step on that magical dance floor and give it my all! ".
In anticipation of Saturday's Strictly launch show, Michelle took to Instagram to post nostalgic footage of herself dancing at the age of six, expressing the joy it brought her and how she cherished her mother's honest feedback after performances.
She wrote: "Where it all began ...6 years old and a new found love for dance. The happiness it gave me was immeasurable. And I always remember running to my mum after each performance to hear what she thought of it. She never sugar-coated anything (and she still doesn't) which make her compliments that much more meaningful."
She concluded with a message of excitement for the new season: "Another season of @bbcstrictly commences tonight, and I can't wait for you all to join us in the world of dance, joy and sparkle".