Inside Lauren Oakley's life off-screen with loving husband as she replaces Amy on Strictly
Lauren Oakley has become a favourite among Strictly Come Dancing fans after joining the hit BBC show back in 2022. The professional dancer joined the ensemble cast and participated in the professional group routines during her debut series, before being given a celebrity partner in 2023.
Lauren, 33, who hails from Birmingham, was paired with Channel 4 News star Krishnan Guru-Murphy, with the duo making it to the eighth week of the competition. Lauren is back on Strictly for the 2024 series, but has not been given a celebrity partner.
However, she is due to take to the dance floor on Saturday (2 November) as a replacement for fellow pro Amy Dowden, who fell ill last weekend. Lauren will dance with JLS star JB Gill while Amy recovers.
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The BBC announced the news in a statement which read: "Amy Dowden MBE is doing much better and the Strictly family send her love and wish her well. She is delighted that fellow professional dancer, Lauren Oakley, is able to step in for rehearsals and to perform in Saturday's show for JB Gill's couple's choice dance.”
Lauren has been dancing since the age of two. She began competing in ballroom and Latin at the age of seven, going on to become the juvenile champion at the Blackpool Dance Festival.
A well-known face in the dance world, Lauren has performed as the main lady in Giovanni Pernice and Anton Du Beke's tour Him & Me, and also travelled the globe with Burn the Floor. She also partnered with Giovanni for his solo tour, This Is Me.
Away from the dance floor, Lauren is happily married to husband Maximiliano Omar Montes de Oca. The smitten couple tied the knot in September 2019 in a lavish ceremony after dating for several years.
Lauren wore an incredible lace gown by Made with Love Bridal on her big day, which took place at a stunning venue in the countryside. She sported a delicate flower crown and held a bouquet of sunflowers as she walked down the aisle.
Sharing a snap of the special day online, the dancer said: "We had an absolutely magical day full of sunshine, and we hope everyone enjoyed it as much as we did. We felt so at home around all of our loved ones and the wedding was exactly how we wanted it to be, comfortable, relaxed and like a huge house party in the English countryside... Only in a big white dress!"
