The three new professional dancers are all champions in their own right from the world of Ballroom and Latin dancing.

Dianne Buswell from Australia, Nadiya Bychkova from Ukraine and Amy Dowden from Wales will join the new series.

The three new professional dancers will replace Joanne Clifton and Oksana Platero who are leaving the series, along with Natalie Lowe who previously announced she would not be returning.

The new series will also feature Queen of Latin Shirley Ballas as head judge, replacing Len Goodman after he stepped down at the end of the 14th series.

Returning for the new series are dancers Anton Du Beke, Brendan Cole, Kevin Clifton, Neil Jones, Pasha Kovalev, Gorka Marquez, Giovanni Pernice, AJ Pritchard, Aljaž Škorjanec, Karen Clifton, Chloe Hewitt, Katya Jones, Oti Mabuse and Janette Manrara.

Strictly's professional dancers for 2017

Dianna Buswell

Buswell is an Australian Open Champion and four-time Amateur Australian Open Finalist. She has appeared on Dancing With The Stars Australia and has been part of the Burn The Floor production on Broadway since 2011. 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 Bychkova

Bychkova from Ukraine is a two-time World Champion and European Champion in Ballroom and Latin ‘10’ Dance. She is a multiple-time Slovenian Ballroom and Latin Champion and has taken part in the Bosnian version of Strictly. 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!"

Amy Dowden

Amy Dowden is from Caerphilly, South Wales and began dancing at the age of eight. She is the current British National Champion and one of the highest-ranking Ballroom and Latin American professional dancers in the UK. Dowden is also a four-time British National Finalist and in 2015, she reached the semi-final of the World Championship. She said: “Becoming a professional dancer on Strictly Come Dancing has made my wildest dreams come true, it does not feel real!"

Karen Clifton

Originally from Venezuela, Clifton is the United Amateur American Rhythm National Champion and Professional World Mambo Champion. In 2009, Karen appeared in the US series So You Think You Can Dance before joining the West End Burn the Floor as a principal dancer. Clifton reached the grand final with Mark Wright in 2014 and most recently was partnered with Will Young. 

Chloe Hewitt

Aged 21, Hewitt is one of the youngest professional dancers ever to take part in Strictly Come Dancing. In 2015, Hewitt and her fellow dance partner AJ Pritchard won one of the biggest championships in the world to become British Open Youth Latin Champions. That same year they also became European Youth Latin Champions. Together, they have set records by becoming the National Youth Latin Champions for three years in a row from 2012-2014 in the two biggest British competitions. 

Katya Jones

World Latin Champion Jones was born in Saint-Petersburg, Russia and started dancing at the age of six. In 2008, Jones formed a partnership with Neil Jones and together they won the World Amateur Latin Championships and have won the title a total of three times, before turning professional in 2013. Katya joined Strictly last year and was partnered with Ed Balls.

Oti Mabuse

Mabuse began dancing in South Africa as a young child along with her sister, who is also a professional dancer and a judge on the German version of the show. She has achieved many titles in her dancing career including World European Latin semi-finalist and World Cup Championship semi-finalist. She joined the show in 2015 and last year she reached the final with Danny Mac.

Janette Manrara

Manrara was born in Miami, Florida and has performed with Jennifer Lopez at the 82nd Academy Awards and she was the principal dancer in the TV series and live tour of Glee. She was also a finalist in season five of So You Think You Can Dance in the USA before joining the cast of Burn The Floor in the West End. Last year, she was partnered with Melvin Odoom and together they went on to win the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special.

Anton Du Beke

Du Beke specialises in Ballroom dancing and has been performing since the age of 14. Anton has appeared in every series of Strictly to date, but he is still yet to lift the Glitter Ball Trophy, although he made it all the way to the final with Katie Derham in 2015. Previous partners include Ann Widdecombe, Jerry Hall, Nancy Dell’Olio and Judy Murray and last year, Du Beke danced with Lesley Joseph.

Brendan Cole

Kiwi Cole specialises in all things Latin American. He is a former New Zealand and Asian Open Professional Champion. Cole has appeared in every series of Strictly to date and was the first professional dancer to lift the Glitter Ball Trophy in series one with Natasha Kaplinsky.

Kevin Clifton

Taught by his parents from an early age - former World Champions themselves Keith and Judy Clifton - Kevin went on to win International Open titles all over the world. Clifton has starred in the West End in Dirty Dancing and Burn The Floor. Clifton joined Strictly in 2013 and is the only professional dancer to reach four consecutive grand finals with Susanna Reid, Frankie Bridge, Kellie Bright and last year with Louise Redknapp.

Gorka Marquez

Spanish Marquez began dancing at the age of 12 and represented Spain in the World Latin Championships in 2010 and reaching the semi-finals of the 2012 WDSF World Cup. In 2014, he joined the global Ballroom and Latin dance phenomenon Burn The Floor as one of their leads and has toured with them all around the world.

Pasha Kovalev

Kovalev has been a professional dancer on Strictly since 2011 and has made the grand final three times and lifted the Glitter Ball Trophy in 2014 with Caroline Flack. His professional achievements include performing on Broadway and reaching the finals of the US version of So You Think You Can Dance.

Giovanni Pernice

Italian Pernice was born in Sicily and decided from a young age that he wanted to take up dance lessons. His greatest achievement is the day he won the Italian Championships in 2012. In his first series on Strictly, Pernice reached the grand final with Georgia May Foote. Last year, he was partnered with Laura Whitmore.

Neil Jones

Jones is the undefeated four-time British National Champion and the three-time winner of the World Amateur Latin Championships with his wife Katya Jones. Neil was born in a British Army Camp in Munster, Germany and started dancing at a local ballet school at the age of three. He concentrated mainly in Ballroom and Latin and also trained in tap, modern and ballet. Last year, Jones was partnered with Hollie Webb in the Strictly Come Dancing Children In Need Special.

AJ Pritchard

Pritchard was born in Stoke-on-Trent and is 21. In 2015, Pritchard and his dance partner Chloe Hewitt won one of the biggest championships in the world to become British Open Youth Latin Champions. Together they have set records by becoming the National Youth Latin Champions for three years in a row from 2012-2014 in the two biggest British competitions. Last year Pritchard was partnered with Claudia Fragapane.

Aljaž Škorjanec

Born in Slovenia, Škorjanec took to the dance floor at the age of five and has enjoyed success in his home country where he won 19 Slovenian championships in Ballroom and Latin. For over a decade, Škorjanec represented Slovenia in the World Latin and Ballroom Championships and has appeared in Slovenia’s Dancing with the Stars. Škorjanec joined Strictly in 2013 and during his first year, he lifted the Glitter Ball Trophy with Abbey Clancy. Last year, he was partnered with Daisy Lowe.