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Lauren Oakley | |
|---|---|
| Born | Lauren May Oakley 28 February 1991 Birmingham, England |
| Occupation(s) | Ballroom dancer, Latin dancer, choreographer |
| Known for | Burn the Floor Strictly Come Dancing |
Lauren May Oakley (born 28 February 1991) is an English professional dancer and choreographer, best known for appearing as a professional on the BBC One television series Strictly Come Dancing .
Oakley was born on 28 February 1991 in Birmingham, England. [1] [2] She began dancing at the age of 2 and began competing in Ballroom and Latin dance at the age of 7. [1]
Oakley became Juvenile Champion at the Blackpool Dance Festival, winning across both Ballroom and Latin disciplines and has also became Under 21 British National Champion before beginning a career on stage. [3] She has toured the world as part of the live dance show Burn the Floor and has starred as the "leading lady" in the national tour Him & Me alongside Giovanni Pernice and Anton Du Beke. [4] [5] [6] and has starred in Pernice's solo tour This Is Me. [7] [8]
In July 2022, Oakley was announced to be joining the twentieth series of Strictly Come Dancing as a professional, along with Vito Coppola, Carlos Gu, and Michelle Tsiakkas. [9] Upon her appointment as professional, Oakley said "[She had] grown up watching Strictly, always hoping that one day [she] could be part of the best show on television, doing what [she loves] the most. Now that it’s happening, it doesn’t quite seem real. I can’t wait to start this new sequined adventure and join this incredible family." [1] [10] Oakley did not partner a celebrity for her first series, and instead took part in the professional group routines. The following year, she was paired with presenter and journalist Krishnan Guru-Murthy for the twenty-first series. They were eliminated in the eighth week of the competition after losing the dance off to Angela Rippon and Kai Widdrington. Oakley returned for the twenty-second series and did not receive a celebrity partner. She danced however, with JLS singer JB Gill in the show's seventh week, standing in for an ill Amy Dowden. [11] The following Monday it was confirmed that Oakley would partner Gill for the remainder of the series, as Dowden withdrew from the series due to a foot injury. [12]
| Series | Partner | Place | Average Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | Krishnan Guru-Murthy | 8th | 26.4 |
| 22 | JB Gill | TBA | TBD |
| Week # | Dance / Song | Judges' score | Result | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horwood | Mabuse | Ballas | Du Beke | Total | |||
| 1 | Cha-cha-cha / "Boom Shack-A-Lak" | 5 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 22 | No Elimination |
| 2 | Foxtrot / "Love Really Hurts Without You" | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 20 | Safe |
| 3 | Charleston / "Money, Money" | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 30 | Safe |
| 4 | Paso Doble / "By the Way" | 6 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 28 | Safe |
| 5 | Quickstep / "The Lady Is a Tramp" | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 30 | Safe |
| 6 | Viennese waltz / "Kiss from a Rose" | 6 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 27 | Safe |
| 7 | Couple's Choice / "You Can Call Me Al" | 6 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 29 | Safe |
| 8 | Samba / "Bamboléo" | 5 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 25 | Eliminated |
| Week # | Dance / Song | Judges' score | Result | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horwood | Mabuse | Ballas | Du Beke | Total | |||
| 7 | Couple's Choice / "Uptown Funk", "Treasure", & "24K Magic" | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 39 | Safe |
| 8 | Samba / "Mas que Nada" | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 37 | Safe |
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