While Strictly Come Dancing has had a whole host of celebrities take part, it has also turned Strictly's professional dancers into celebrities in their own right. The drama behind the Strictly Curse doesn’t help our obsession, and we become more and more fascinated with the pros’ personal lives every single season.
One of the newer pro-dancers is Michelle Tsiakkas, who joined Strictly for the 2022 series (she joined at the same time as Nikita Kuzmin and Dianne Buswell). With the launch of Strictly's 20th anniversary series imminent, here’s everything you need to know about Michelle who will be taking to the dance floor for this milestone season – hopefully with a celeb in tow this time.
Who is Michelle Tsiakkas?
Michelle is a professional dancer on Strictly Come Dancing. Before she joined the show, she was a Latin dancing champion. She competed for ten years before moving to the UK to study. Like her fellow Strictly professional, Karen Hauer, Michelle was also a dancer for the world touring dance show, Burn The Floor.
Where is Michelle Tsiakkas from?
Michelle is from Cyprus and moved to London over ten years ago.
How old is Michelle Tsiakkas?
Michelle was born on 29 August 1995, making her 29 years old.
When did Michelle Tsiakkas join Strictly?
Michelle joined Strictly Come Dancing in 2022 as one of four new professional dancers added that season.
Does Michelle Tsiakkas have a boyfriend?
Michelle is in a relationship with fellow dancer, Simone Arena who has worked as a professional dancer on both the Belgian and Italian versions of Dancing with the Stars.
Michelle and her boyfriend met while they were both dancers on Burn the Floor.
Who has Michelle Tsiakkas been paired with on Strictly?
Michelle has yet to be paired with a celebrity on Strictly, so we're keeping our fingers crossed for her this year.
Has Michelle Tsiakkas ever won Strictly?
Since she has never had a celebrity partner, she has never had a chance to win Strictly. She’s good, but not so good that she can win all by herself. Well...
Has Michelle Tsiakkas quit Strictly?
Despite not ever having a celebrity partner, Michelle hasn't said or even hinted that she's leaving Strictly, so hopefully Michelle gets her time in the spotlight this year.
Speaking about being a pro on the show's 20th anniversary series, Michelle said, 'It feels amazing. It is honestly a blessing to be here. It was a dream ever since I was six years old and still feels very surreal, but I’m very grateful every year for being here. I think it's really exciting. This show has been on for 20 years, and that just shows what an amazing show it is. I mean, it’s been successful for that long for a reason; it's the nation's favourite show. So, celebrating these 20 years is really special, and I feel lucky to be here for it.'
Does Michelle Tsiakkas have Instagram?
She does, and you can follow her at @michelle_tsiak for all kinds of behind the scenes Strictly content.