By Katy Hallam,Meghna Amin

Copyright walesonline

Strictly Come Dancing is making a comeback, and this time with some fresh faces on the dance floor. The BBC has previously revealed that two brand-new professional dancers will be joining the cast of the popular series in 2025 . American-born Alexis Warr , along with Australian dancer Julian Caillon, are set to join the returning dancers Dianne Buswell, Nadiya Bychkova, Amy Dowden, Karen Hauer, Katya Jones, Neil Jones, Nikita Kuzmin, Gorka Marquez, Luba Mushtuk, Jowita Przystal, Johannes Radebe, AljazÌŒ SÌŒkorjanec, Kai Widdrington, Nancy Xu, Carlos Gu, Lauren Oakley, Michelle Tsiakkas and Vito Coppola. As she takes to the dancefloor with YouTuber George Clarke, we’ve taken a look into her career and private life. Alexis, 25, also known as Alexis Warr Burton, is best recognised for her victory in the US dance series So You Think You Can Dance in 2022. However, others might remember her from Celebrity Big Brother star JoJo Siwa’s music video for the song Karma, reports Birmingham Live . She began dancing at the tender age of six and has performed as a guest professional dancer and in the dance troupe on the US version of Strictly Come Dancing, Dancing With The Stars, and has been part of the series’ accompanying US tour for the past three years. Alexis has also showcased her talent 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. She was hailed as ‘America’s Favourite Dancer’, becoming the first female Ballroom and Latin dancer to win the title, and is also trained in ballet, jazz, contemporary, hip hop, tap, and gymnastics. But what more do we know about the dancer beyond her remarkable career? Alexis previously admitted that a serious concussion and bullying during her teenage years had “forever changed” her. She revealed that doctors had warned her she could have died or been paralysed if the impact of her head injury had been just an inch higher. In a previous interview with Voyage LA, she shared: “I would say the biggest personal challenge, that forever changed me, would be when I experienced head trauma and severe bullying during my high school years. “I had always gotten along with all my peers, teammates, and coaches. However, in 2016, my body was turning on me because I was pushing it too much and not taking care of myself mentally or physically. “I also got a severe concussion. This concussion was severe because the doctors I worked with said that if I had hit just an inch above where the impact was, I could possibly be paralyzed or even dead. “I was flabbergasted. I did not believe in the severity. During this time, I found out about the bullying that was going on behind my back. “It hit me so hard and caused me to spiral down to my lowest point and not want to come back. I could barely even recognize myself.” Alexis revealed that she abandoned her dance season and concentrated on competitive ballroom as whenever she would perform jazz or contemporary, she would get “the sickest feeling in my stomach and immediately tear up”. She continued: “It just hurt like nothing else. After a year of working on myself and taking care of myself mentally, I decided for my senior year that I didn’t want to end my time at the studio like that. “I forgave those that were so mean and developed friendships with most of them. I wanted to finish what I started and I truly appreciated and was so grateful for the friendships, mentors and instructors that believed in me and provided a second home.” Alexis has maintained a strong bond with her mum, who spent considerable time in hospital during her childhood whilst battling brain cancer. She even dedicated her So You Think You Can Dance triumph to her mum. Discussing her mother’s health struggle, she disclosed she was merely two-years-old when her mum fell ill. She previously shared with Voyage LA: “There are many challenges that I’ve had to face and walkthrough. One being my mom getting sick with a brain disease when I was two and in and out of remission with multiple rounds of chemotherapy and on home hospice.” She explained she had “grown immensely from watching my mom fight for her life and still be by my side and support me and my dreams”. Alexis revealed that at age nine, her mother received a brain tumour diagnosis, forcing her to abandon dance lessons “because the surgery/hospital bills were very expensive and we just couldn’t afford dance”. She went on: “After my mom’s miraculous surgery and remission, my parents gave me the decision to stay in softball or go back to dance. I chose dance and got serious when I was about 11.” The Utah-born star is wed to her high school love, Jake Burton. The pair exchanged vows in 2018 and marked their 7th wedding anniversary just weeks ago, with Alexis sharing a heartfelt message. She penned: “Happy Birthday to my best friend and forever love. “From high school sweethearts to nearly 7 years of marriage, life with you is my greatest gift. “Thank you for chasing dreams with me, lifting me up, and loving me the way you do. I’m so lucky to call you mine. I love you endlessly.” Alexis is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She has previously shared details about her profound faith on her Instagram account. She once penned: “I believe in Jesus Christ and trust in him. Every October and April the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints invites everyone to come together and join in what’s called “General Conference” where church leaders share beautiful messages of love, hope, peace, guidance, and our Savior. “This recent session has given me so much peace, hope, and enlightenment during this time in our world. I feel my Savior’s love and don’t know how I’d navigate this world without his teachings found in the scriptures such as the Book of Mormon, General Conference through our prophet, apostles, and other church authorities, and more. “If anyone is in need of more peace, comfort, guidance, or just a really good uplifting talk you can find the sessions of general conference at www.churchofjesuschrist.org. I love you all and hope that you are having a beautiful Sunday! Don’t let fear displace your faith.” Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC One and iPlayer at 6.55pm.