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Strictly Come Dancing 2019: Celebrities meet their dance partners for first joint rehearsal



Strictly Come Dancing’s class of 2019 met the show’s professional dancers for the first time as rehearsals kicked off.

Videos shared on the BBC series’ Instagram story showed the moment that 15 celebrity contestants came face to face with the dancers tasked with teaching them how to waltz, tango and cha cha cha.

One clip showed 2018 finalist Dianne Buswell, who was paired with YouTuber Joe Sugg in last year’s competition, tell fellow professional AJ Pritchard that she felt “nervous” to meet the new contenders.

Another video saw the full line-up of dancers – including last year’s winner Kevin Clifton, new star Nancy Xu and recent exes Neil and Katya Jones – run through a doorway into a rehearsal space, as Gorka Marquez announced: “Showtime!”

(Instagram @bbcstrictly)

They then stood on the opposite side of the room to the celebrities, before both groups ran into the centre to introduce themselves and mingle as confetti fell from the ceiling.

A later Instagram Story showed the professionals taking charge to teach the celebrities some simple steps.

Comedian Chris Ramsey joked that it was “demoralising” to see the professionals’ “chiselled jaws and biceps.”

(Instagram @bbcstrictly)

Each celebrity will be paired up with a professional dancer, with this year’s partnerships set to be confirmed when the show launches this autumn.

A video shared on Katya’s Instagram Story showed that she and husband Neil are keeping things professional after announcing their split over the weekend.

As the dancer shared her “excitement” at meeting the celebrities, her ex could be seen in the background.

(Instagram @mrs_katjones)

The couple confirmed their break-up in identical statements posted to Instagram on Sunday. They promised fans that they will “always love each other, just in a different way as friends” and that the split “will never change what a great team [they] make.”

“Our shared love of dancing means we will keep working and dancing together as well as exploring individual projects,” they said.

“No matter what we do we will always support and respect each other.”

The couple hit the headlines last year when Katya was photographed kissing her Strictly dance partner Seann Walsh on a night out. They issued apologies shortly after the photographs were published.

A spokeswoman for the Joneses clarified that their split was not influenced by “one isolated incident.”

“It would be incorrect and unfair to attribute their separation to one isolated incident,” she said.

“Many people make such a decision to separate when they realise that their relationship has become more of a friendship.

“They remain the very best of friends and will continue to dance together.”

Strictly Come Dancing will return to BBC One in the autumn.

 



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