Lauren Oakley

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.

Early life
Oakley was born on 28 February 1991 in Birmingham, England. She began dancing at the age of 2 and began competing in Ballroom and Latin dance at the age of 7.

Career
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. 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. and has starred in Pernice's solo tour This Is Me.

Strictly Come Dancing
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. 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." 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.