'Strictly Come Dancing' unveils five new pros after major cast shake-up: Watch

Strictly Come Dancing has announced that five new professional dancers will join the show after a major cast shake-up.

The five new pros are Aleksandra Isaeva, Cristian Priori, Lethabo Monametsi, Maddie Ingoldsby, and Mark Karmalita. 

They will join returning dancers Alexis Warr, Aljaž Škorjanec, Amy Dowden, Carlos Gu, Dianne Buswell, Jowita Przystal, Julian Caillon, Kai Widdrington, Katya Jones, Lauren Oakley, Nancy Xu, Neil Jones, Nikita Kuzmin and Vito Coppola.

The BBC series has already made several big changes this year. Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe, and Johannes Radebe have replaced longtime hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.

The show has also revealed eight celebrity contestants so far, including Will Best, Jaime Winstone, and Delta Goodrem.

Several longtime dancers have left the show in recent months, including Nadiya Bychkova, Karen Hauer, Michelle Tsiakkas, Luba Mushtuk and Gorka Márquez.

Reports say producers are looking to attract younger viewers. Dancers with larger social media followings are believed to have had an advantage.

For example, Nadiya Bychkova has around 19,000 followers, while Dianne Buswell has nearly one million. Karen Hauer has around 9,000 followers, while returning pro Alexis Warr has about 190,000.

A source claimed the show wants to grow its audience and that social media, especially TikTok, plays an important role.

The changes also extend to the spin-off show It Takes Two. Reports also say presenters Fleur East and Janette Manrara have been dropped as producers plan a major revamp.

Sources say the BBC wants to refresh the franchise after several recent controversies and is aiming to start the new season with a "clean slate."