'Strictly' unveils line-up as Professionals Tour returns after COVID postponement

Nadiya Bychkova, Graziano Di Prima and Karen Hauer are among the 10 Strictly dancers getting ready to hit the road for the show's Professionals Tour.

The tour was postponed last year amid the coronavirus pandemic but is set to return in April.

Organisers have now confirmed the line-up, which also includes Gorka Marquez, Dianne Buswell, Katya Jones and her ex Neil, Cameron Lombard and Luba Mushtuk.

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Newcomer Kai Widdrington - who made his debut on the 2021 series of Strictly - will also be taking part.

Widdrington made a splash last year with his celebrity partner AJ Odudu, and they made it all the way to the final where they were due to face John Whaite and Rose Ayling-Ellis.

However, they were forced to pull out after Odudu injured her ankle, which left her wearing a "medical moonboot" and unable to dance.

The dancers will perform 36 dates throughout April and May, kicking off in Salford on 28 April.

Strictly creative director Jason Gilkison will be at the helm and said the pros would "dazzle" the crowds.

“We are delighted to announce this incredible line-up of Strictly dancers for this year’s official Strictly Professionals tour," he said.

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"These much-loved pros are set to dazzle audiences across the country this spring, with two hours of the finest choreography and dancing."

“Watching them perform at such an incredible standard is an experience not to be missed," he added.

The tour had been due to start in June 2021.

A few weeks beforehand, organisers said they had made the “difficult” decision to delay it until 2022 due to the “ongoing uncertainty” surrounding live entertainment venues across the UK.

A statement said: “Unfortunately due to the scale of the Strictly Come Dancing: The Professionals production, it is not possible to tour unless the show has the opportunity to perform to full capacity houses.”

Additional reporting by PA.

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