STRICTLY PROFESSIONAL
Who is Lauren Oakley and when is the Strictly professional replacing dancer Amy Dowden?
Lauren defended controversial Strictly dancer Giovanni Pernice
LAUREN Oakley shot to fame when she joined the line-up of professional dancers on the hit show, Strictly Come Dancing.
In October 2024, The Sun revealed that she was being brought in to replace Amy Dowden on the BBC series after she was taken ill.
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Lauren Oakley was born on February 28, 1991, in Birmingham and developed a love of dancing almost as soon as she could walk.
She started to dance at the age of 2 and began competing in ballroom and latin dancing by the age of 7.
Lauren became the Juvenile Champion at the Blackpool Dance Festival and was crowned Under 21 British National Champion.
Later in her career, she toured with the world with Burn the Floor.
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Becoming a Strictly star
Lauren joined Strictly Come Dancing in 2022, alongside professional dancers Vito Coppola, Carlos Gu, and Michelle Tsiakkas.
Her first celebrity partner was journalist and TV Krishnan Guru-Murthy in 2023.
The pair made it to the eighth week of the competition, but were knocked out of the competition by Angela Rippon and Kai Widdrington after they were in a dance-off.
Replacing Amy
In October 2024, it was revealed how Lauren was being drafted in to replace Amy Dowden on Strictly season 20.
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It came after Amy collapsed backstage after performing with her celeb partner JB Gill.
The Sun exclusively revealed how Lauren - who wasn't paired with a celebrity for the 2024 series - is now set to step in as her co-star recovers.
Strictly star Lauren Oakley supported by co-stars as heartbroken dancer reveals death of beloved family member
A source told us: "Lauren will be stepping in today to train with JB.
"It's unclear when Amy will be back but everyone just wants her to rest and get better."
Married life
Lauren is married to Maximiliano Omar Montes de Oca, who she reportedly wed in 2019.
The bride wore a lace gown crafted by Made with Love Bridal, which she paired with a flower crown.
She captioned one of her Instagram posts with glowing praise about her husband.
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Lauren said: "I’m grateful for so many things in my life, I’m a very lucky girl… but all because you allow me to realise my goals and ambitions and support me every step of the way.
"And for that, I’m so incredibly grateful for you."
The couple do not have children and have chosen to keep much of their relationship private.
Supporting Giovanni
In 2024, Lauren made headlines when she showed support for axed Strictly professional Giovanni Pernice.
It came after she attended his show with Anton Du Beke.
Lauren posted from the audience of their live show as she supported the pair on their tour.
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Giovanni has been at the centre of a Strictly scandal, after he was accused of being "abusive" by actress Amanda Abbington.
The BBC cleared him of ten out of 16 allegations when its probe concluded.
Strictly 2024 pairings
Here's who is matched with who this series...
Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell
Jamie Borthwick and Michelle Tsiakkas
JB Gill and Amy Dowden MBE
Montell Douglas and Johannes Radebe
Nick Knowles and Luba Mushtuk
Paul Merson and Karen Hauer
Pete Wicks and Jowita Przystał
Punam Krishan and Gorka Márquez
Tasha Ghouri and Aljaž Škorjanec
Tom Dean MBE and Nadiya Bychkova
Toyah Willcox and Neil Jones
Sam Quek MBE and Nikita Kuzmin
Sarah Hadland and Vito Coppola
Shayne Ward and Nancy Xu
Wynne Evans and Katya Jones
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