Eyebrows have been raised after one of the celebrities competing on this year’s Strictly Come Dancing appears to have had his previous dance experience wiped from his online CV.
The CV for the Emmerdale actor Lawrence Robb is currently viewable via his management at United Agents, and makes no mention of any dance skills – but does describe the variety of accents he can perform in, his high baritone/tenor singing voice, and his expertise in sports including swimming and skiing.
But a glance at the Wayback Machine reveals that Robb’s United Agents CV used to be slightly bigger, and once listed his dance training in jazz, tap, ballet, modern, contemporary and pas de deux.
The Independent has contacted Robb’s representatives for comment.
open image in galleryBefore any protests, however, it’s worth remembering that many Strictly contestants throughout history have had some kind of dance experience before joining the show – and that it’s sparked debate for years. As many of the celebrities competing on Strictly are actors, singers and presenters, a large number of them will have trained in dance or theatrical performance. Many have also appeared in musical theatre roles in the West End or on tour.
In the 2023 series alone, Angela Rippon, Ellie Leach and Layton Williams all had experience with dance – with Rippon even serving as the chair of English National Ballet at one point. Leach and Williams, who would ultimately take first and second prize in the series, both defended their past experience and insisted it made no difference to their time on the show. Leach said that while she studied tap, ballet and street dance when she was younger, it “in no way shape or form trained in Ballroom or Latin”.
Williams, meanwhile, said that his work on stage – in musicals including Billy Elliot, Hairspray and Thriller – was largely inconsequential. “I trained in jazz, tap and ballet to a certain degree,” he explained. “So dance is in me, it’s a core feeling and I love it and it’s my passion. But this world of Latin and Ballroom is completely new to me, so that’s what I’m excited to explore.”
open image in gallery
open image in galleryIn 2025, professional dancer Lauren Oakley defended contestants with dance experience, after two of that year’s stars – Emmerdale’s Lewis Cope and Love Island contestant Amber Davies – were found to have danced before.
“Strictly is about inclusivity and inclusivity doesn’t stop at ability,” she said, adding that the show’s audience “want to see something different”, including underdogs, entertainers and “people that dance really amazingly well already”.
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Oakley highlighted that just because a celebrity is trained in one dance discipline doesn’t mean they’ll excel at others and that even professionals can struggle. “It’s a completely different experience, my friend is ballet trained but she’s had to unlearn a lot of things in order to do Latin,” she added. “Everyone’s there to learn a new talent, everyone’s there to have a lovely time, everyone’s there to make sure people at home have a lovely time and hopefully that’s what we do.”
Strictly will return this year with three new hosts replacing outgoing presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman. Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe are the trio who’ll be leading proceedings when the series returns to screens in September.
open image in galleryYesterday (15 August), it was announced that former contestant Ellie Taylor will succeed the outgoing Fleur East and Janette Manrara as the host of Strictly’s spin-off show It Takes Two. She explained on Emma Willis’s BBC Radio 2 show that she was “thrilled” to re-join the Strictly universe, and described some of the changes being made to the show once it returns.
She said It Takes Two will still be “the show that everyone knows and loves but refreshed for 2026”, adding: “We’re gonna be talking to couples but also groups of celeb [contestants] and groups of pros away from their dance partners, for slightly more candid conversation.”
“One thing that we’re really keen to have is more involvement from the viewers at home,” she continued. “You know when you have a WhatsApp chat and you’re gossiping about what’s going on with Strictly? We want it to feel like that. One big, fat celebration of the wonderful world of Strictly.”
The new series of Strictly – its 24th – will see celebrities including Delta Goodrem, Dani Dyer, Graeme Hall, Tabby Stoecker and John Nellis take to the dancefloor. The full list of stars can be found here.
Speaking to The Independent this month, Goodrem said she had one simple request for her professional dance partner, who has yet to be confirmed – that he be taller than her.