BBC Strictly ‘signs up second youngest ever pro dancer’ following mass exits of long-serving professionals
The revamped dance competition is poised to welcome several new faces to the ballroom
Strictly Come Dancing is set to welcome its second youngest ever professional dancer, with 21-year-old Maddie Ingoldsby confirmed as part of the show’s refreshed roster.
The competitive ballroom star, who celebrated her 21st birthday in February, is only marginally older than Chloe Hewitt was when she became the programme’s previous youngest signing in 2016.
Ms Ingoldsby, who hails from Henley in Oxfordshire, has been dancing since the age of six and holds six World Amateur 10 Dance Championship titles.
She is one of five new professionals set to be brought in.
Beyond the dance floor, she is also an actress who appeared in the 2019 festive film Last Christmas, playing the younger version of Emilia Clarke’s character.
She has built up quite the fanbase so soon into her career, too, amassing 363,000 TikTok followers and 43,500 on Instagram.
Her reported arrival comes amid a sweeping overhaul of the programme’s professional lineup, with five established dancers departing ahead of the September return.
Karen Hauer, who had been the show’s longest-serving female professional, ended a 14-year stint on the programme.
Karen Hauer was one of five pro dancers who announced their departures from Strictly Come Dancing earlier this year
She announced in March that she felt it was “the right time for me to close this chapter and take on new projects”.
Gorka Marquez, Nadiya Bychkova, Luba Mushtuk and Michelle Tsiakkas have also left the show.
The departures have been widely described as a bloodbath, with reports alleging that several of the outgoing dancers had comparatively modest social media followings, something increasingly valued as the BBC programme enters a new era.
Johannes Radebe, Josh Widdicombe and Emma Willis were unveiled as the new Strictly hosts in May | BBCMs Ingoldsby is among five fresh professionals who are believed to be drafted in as replacements, though the full new lineup has yet to be formally unveiled.
The presenting duties are also being transformed, with Emma Willis, Johannes Radebe and Josh Widdicombe stepping in to replace the long-standing duo of Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, who both stepped down from their roles.
The judging panel remains unchanged, however, with Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke all returning.
Fans of the show have welcomed Ms Ingoldsby’s reported signing with excitement. One Reddit user said of the reports: “She is an amazing ballroom dancer, also one of the few still doing both ballroom and Latin to a high level.”
Nadiya Bychkova was another of the Strictly casualties
However, the celebrity contestant lineup has not been without controversy.
Love Island 2025 winner Cach Mercer, 25, has drawn significant criticism from viewers owing to his background as a professional dancer known for his Afrobeat, hip-hop and street dance content on TikTok.
Mr Mercer joins a celebrity roster that already includes hairstylist Chris Appleton, singer Delta Goodrem, Dani Dyer and actress Lacey Turner.
