By Jessica Sansome

Copyright manchestereveningnews

Alex Warr has revealed what’s making her ‘stressed’ as he prepares to make her Strictly Come Dancing debut. The professional dancer has admitted to feeling like the ‘new kid at school’ as she joins the hit BBC One dance show this year alongside Julian Caillon. The BBC confirmed its pro line-up for the 2025 series back in April with Dianne Buswell, Nadiya Bychkova, Amy Dowden, Karen Hauer, Katya Jones. Lauren Oakley and Neil Jones all set to return Also making up this year’s pro line-up are Kai Widdrington, Nikita Kuzmin, Gorka Marquez, Luba Mushtuk, Jowita Przystal, Johannes Radebe, Aljaž Škorjanec, Michelle Tsiakkas, Nancy Xu, Carlos Gu and Vito Coppola. At the time, it was also revealed that two new professional dancers will be joining the show and the newcomers have since been revealed as Australia’s Dancing With The Stars’ Julian and So You Think You Can Dance champion Alexis. Australian-born Julian as been dancing since the age of 10, specialising in Ballroom and Latin American, and going on to represent Australia on the international stage. He appeared as a Professional Dancer on three seasons of Australia’s Dancing With The Stars, has toured the globe with hit dance show Burn The Floor, and also competed on So You Think You Can Dance in Australia. American star Alexis is best known for winning US dance series So You Think You Can Dance in 2022 and was crowned as ‘America’s Favourite Dancer’, becoming the first female Ballroom and Latin dancer to claim the title. She has performed as a guest Professional Dancer and in the dance troupe on the US version of Strictly, Dancing With The Stars, and has been part of the series’ accompanying US tour for the past three years. Alexis has also danced on America’s Got Talent, World of Dance, and on national tours across the States – including three with Dancing With The Stars judge Derek Hough, in addition to his Las Vegas residency. Both Alexis and Julian have also previously danced at the world-famous Blackpool Tower Ballroom, where Strictly will return later this series for its much-anticipated Blackpool special. Ahead of their first appearance on the show, which will come during the launch this Saturday (September 20), Alexis and Julian were quizzed on joining Strictly. Asked if they knew any of the other pros beforehand, Alexis revealed: “It was my first time meeting everybody. I felt like that new kid at school, thinking, ‘I hope they like me!'” while Julian said: “I toured in the theatre show Burn the Floor with Dianne, Gorka and Lauren. But the last time we danced together I was freshly 18 – now I’m 30!” With them now making the UK their home for the next few months, the pair were asked if they were prepared for their autumn and winter to be spent at Strictly’s home of Elstree, to which Julian told the Radio Times: “I’m hoping I’m going to be very busy! But I do miss going to the beach for a swim… It was also then when Alexis admitted: “I’m more stressed trying to figure out all the cultural differences. Someone will say “quarter past” – and I don’t know that term. We say 9.15!”