Strictly Come Dancing newcomers Aleksandra Isaeva and Cristian Priori have addressed rumours that they are dating, with the pair giving a very clear answer: no.
Aleksandra and Cristian are among the five new professional dancers joining Strictly Come Dancing for its 2026 series. They will appear alongside Lethabo Monametsi, Mark Karmalita and Maddie Ingoldsby.
The pair tackled the speculation during a YouTube video with Mark, as the three newcomers answered questions sent in by fans.
Are new Strictly pros Aleksandra Isaeva and Cristian Priori dating?
Aleksandra read out the question: “Are you and Cristian in a relationship as well as dance partners?”
She and Cristian immediately looked at each other and wagged their fingers before Aleksandra gave a drawn-out response: “Nooooo.”
But Aleksandra was clearly not about to let the moment pass without having a bit of fun with the rumours.
“Oh we need to do clickbait,” she joked, before adding: “Yeah, we are in a relationship with Cristian.”
The playful comment came moments after the pair had made their actual answer perfectly clear.
Who are the new Strictly professionals?
Ukrainian dancer Aleksandra and Italian professional Cristian are part of a five-strong group of new professionals joining ahead of the new series.
They will be joined by South African Latin champion Lethabo, Canadian dancer Mark and UK National Ballroom Champion Maddie.
The newcomers have already been introducing themselves to viewers on social media as they prepare to make their Strictly debuts.
At 21, Maddie Ingoldsby becomes the second-youngest professional dancer in the programme’s history.
Maddie said in the official announcement: “Joining Strictly as a professional dancer is truly a dream come true.”
Read more: Strictly Come Dancing 2026 line-up complete as Melanie Walters finally confirms the rumours
With the five new professionals already chatting to fans and showing off their personalities online, viewers are getting an early look at the dancers before they make their Strictly debuts.
And as for Aleksandra and Cristian, they were more than happy to play along with the dating speculation, but their first answer was pretty definitive.
Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC One and BBC iPlayer this September.
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