Who is Cristian Priori? Meet brand new Strictly Come Dancing 2026 professional

Strictly Come Dancing returns to our screens this weekend and things will look a little different as there’s been some major changes to the show.

As well as new hosts Emma Willis, Johannes Radebe and Josh Widdicombe, there are also five new professional dancers who will be making their Strictly debut during the launch show tonight!

One of those pros is Cristian Priori, who will be joining the show alongside his dance partner Aleksandra Isaeva and fellow newcomers Lethabo Monametsi, Maddie Ingoldsby and Mark Karmalita.

Much like former Strictly champion Vito Coppola, Cristian is from Italy and he has had plenty of success in his home country and across Europe.

But what else is there to know about Cristian Priori? Read on to learn more about the dancer as he takes to the dance floor.

Cristian Priori - key facts

Age: 34

Job: Professional dancer

From: Rome, Italy

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Cristian Priori is one of five new professional dancers joining Strictly Come Dancing 2026. He achieved success from a young age as the Junior Italian 10-dance champion, before going on to become a rising star finalist at both the UK Open and the Dutch Open.

As well as being a four-time Italian Latin champion, Cristian has been a rising star Latin finalist at the Blackpool dance festival and an Open world Latin semi-finalist. His international success saw him ranked in the world’s top 24 Latin dancers for eight consecutive years.

How old is Cristian Priori?

Cristian Priori is 34 years old.

Yes, Cristian is active on Instagram and TikTok and can be followed via @cristian_priori and @cristianpriori respectively.

What has Cristian Priori said about joining Strictly Come Dancing?

Cristian has said that joining Strictly Come Dancing was an "easy decision".

He added, "Dance has always been my way of expressing myself, and I’m so excited to begin this new chapter. I’m ready to give my all, enjoy every moment of this amazing journey, and embrace everything it has to offer.

"Strictly is where passion, hard work and entertainment come together, so being part of it is a real privilege."

Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC One and iPlayer on Saturday 19 September at 7:25pm.

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Authors

Nathan Katnoria is a freelance writer at Radio Times, covering entertainment shows like Strictly Come Dancing and Big Brother. He is an NCTJ-qualified journalist and previously worked at heat and Closer, where he focused on showbiz news and reality TV.