Strictly Come Dancing has welcomed Alexis Warr to its cast of professional dancers with open arms – but who is she?

The dancer has joined the ranks of BBC‘s Strictly pros alongside the likes of Amy Dowden, Kai Widdrington, Johannes Radebe and Dianne Buswell.

But Alexis hasn’t had the easiest journey to get to where she is. She’s been forced to deal with very sick parent, cruel bullying and a near-death experience along the way. Read on to find out everything we know about Strictly’s newest dancing queen.

Strictly Come Dancing: Who is Alexis Warr?

Alexis Warr was born in Utah, America, on June 5, 2000. This makes her 25 years old. Alexis was a keen performer from a young age and began gymnastics classes when she was six.

Several years later, when watching her sister’s school play, Alexis’ head was turned by the dancers on stage. She joined ballet and jazz classes, but sadly this was short-lived.

When Alexis was nine, her mother developed a brain tumour. The cost of the expensive medical bills in the US meant her dance classes had to be paused. Instead, her father enrolled Alexis in a Little League softball team to keep her busy.

Alexis’ mother had multiple rounds of chemotherapy and operations, which was hard for the youngster to deal with. But when she finally pulled through, Alexis was told she could return to dance classes.

Aged 13, Alexis slipped into her first pair of ballroom shoes – and she didn’t look back.

Making waves

It was quickly clear Alexis has a real talent for dancing and she was soon competing in both America and Europe. Before she had even left high school, Alexis had appeared alongside her ballroom team on America’s Got Talent and fellow US TV talent show, World of Dance.

Turning down university to instead follow her dreams, Alexis caught the eye of well-known American dancer Derek Hough. She began working with Derek and joined him on the road for his Live Tour. Alexis was also one of the dancers Derek picked for his Derek Hough: No Limit residency in Las Vegas in late 2021 to early 2022.

Alexis went on to compete in TV talent show So You Think You Can Dance? as a solo artist. As the series drew to a close, she was crowned America’s Favourite Dancer. Alexis was the first female ballroom dancer to be awarded the title.

Dancing With The Stars

Hot from her success on So You Think You Can Dance?, Alexis became a ‘female swing’ – or understudy, as the role is also known – for the Dancing With The Stars Live Tour.

The following year, Alexis was invited to join the cast of professional dancers for season 31 of Dancing With The Stars. Alexis did not have a celebrity partner on the TV show, although she was a member of its dance troupe for the duration of the series. The troupe is similar to the group dancers on Strictly Come Dancing.

Since then, Alexis has continued to perform. Last year, she appeared in JoJo Siwa’s music video for her song Karma. She has also been busy working as both a dance teacher and a choreographer. But all that is now on hold for her brand new job on the 2025 series of Strictly Come Dancing.

‘I spiralled down to my lowest point’

Although it appears to have been a fairly easy ride for Alexis, her road to success has actually been very tough at times. In a candid interview with Voyage LA, the dancer opened up about the struggles she has endured along the way.

She told the publication she has “grown immensely” since watching her mother fall ill with a brain tumour, but also spoke about bullying and a terrible injury in high school.

Alexis said: “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 paralysed or even dead.”

Alexis added: “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 recognise myself.”

Back on top

Alexis credits her mum and older sister for pulling her through the dark days. She also turned to her dance teachers for support and her faith. Alexis is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Alexis is now married. She tied the knot with her high school sweetheart, Jake Burton, in 2018.  Alexis’ full name is now Alexis Warr Burton.  The couple live together in Los Angeles, California, and Jake is training to be a dentist. They have a pet golden-doodle dog called Lando.

When does Strictly Come Dancing start?

Strictly Come Dancing 2025 kicks off on Saturday September 20, 2025. The series will run until Christmas, with a live show on Saturday night and a Results show on a Sunday.

Last year’s Strictly Live Final took place on Saturday December 14. Comedian Chris McCausland and pro dancer Dianne Buswell were crowned the 2024 winners.

Read more: Strictly Come Dancing 2025: Lewis Cope confirmed for line-up after Kristian Nairn quits

Strictly Come Dancing 2025 starts on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Saturday September 20, 2025.