We caught up with top dancer and former U21 British Champion, Lauren Oakley on growing up in Birmingham, travelling the world and the pure joy of Strictly Come Dancing

With her big smile, sparkly eyes and positive energy, Lauren Oakley embodies the feelgood vibes of Strictly Come Dancing. In 2023 she was partnered with newsreader and novice, Krishnan Guru-Murthy and while they didn’t lift the glitter ball, Lauren moulded him into a decent dancer impressing the judges and winning over the audience. More than that, their friendship warmed the cockles and summed up the magic of Strictly. They’re still friends.

Having had such a positive experience with Krishnan, Lauren was naturally despondent when she wasn’t allocated a partner in 2024, but she rallied. She says: “I was really disappointed. You just want to give it your all, but I’m willing to watch and support and I always get on board with everyone’s journey.”

In a twist to Lauren’s Strictly journey she was picked to partner JB Gill part way through the series when an injury ruled Amy Dowden out. Sensitive to Amy’s disappointment Lauren says: “I felt sad and sorry for Amy – she wanted to see it through, and I think what she did was incredible. It felt like a team effort. I just tried to keep it positive.” Fortunately for JB, the chemistry with Lauren was instant, eventually pirouetting their way to a high-quality final while dishing up some of the show’s most memorable dances on the way, including a breath-taking samba and the most beautiful, Mary Poppins-inspired Viennese waltz.

IN THE GENES

Lauren’s mum was a dancer and ran local classes in Katherine de Barnes. Initially Lauren started having lessons with her, but soon switched as she didn’t want her mum telling her what to do at home and at dance class! By the age of seven, Lauren had a ballroom partner and was travelling to competitions around the country. She was in Liverpool four nights a week getting home in the early hours and catching up on sleep in the car. Dancing paused when Lauren started secondary school at CTC Kingshurst so that she could focus more on her studies.

She continued to take breaks from dancing throughout her teens, but Lauren always missed it and came back each time. Education was still important, and Lauren graduated from Nottingham with a degree in broadcast journalism. She says: “I ventured into journalism after graduating with not much success, so threw myself into dancing.”

Lauren joined the company at Burn The Floor – a live dance show that performs worldwide. Lauren recalls: “I travelled with Burn The Floor for nine years. I became a principal dancer and got involved with the creative choreography side too. It was a brilliant training ground for Strictly.” Lots of the Strictly professionals are Burn The Floor alumni including Alijaz and Johannes who Lauren met through the company. She also knew Amy, Kai, Neil and Katya through competing over the years, so she knew what to expect when she joined Strictly.

STRICTLY JIGSAW

The show’s producers are aware of the top dancers and are always on the lookout for potential new names. Lauren wasn’t messing about and took the initiative to approach the producers herself. The selection process was lengthy. There’s an interview, a screen test, a demonstration of teaching skills and an assessment on how quickly a dancer picks up pro routines. If all that works, it’s a case of fitting into the Strictly jigsaw. Thankfully Lauren did. She grew up watching Strictly and decided early on that she wanted to be part of the show, so she really is living the dream.

The only downside of Strictly, is that Lauren moved from her beloved Birmingham to Reading to be closer to London. She says: “I miss Birmingham but I’m married with four cats so it needed to be commutable.” She misses the city’s architecture, the canals and Sutton Park where she once got lost and says the city is ‘just vibing’ at the moment. As a proud Brummie, Lauren regrets missing the Commonwealth Games 2022 as she was touring and credits it, along with Peaky Blinders with giving the region a boost.

THEATRE KID

Lots of the pros tour in between series of Strictly and Lauren’s been on the road with Anton for his Anton du Beke at the Musicals show. During their show they both sing, and a little bird tells us that Lauren has a cracking voice. She modestly says: “There are four singers – two proper singers then me and Anton!”

Having said that, as well as dancing, Lauren attended Stagecoach Solihull as a child and says she’s still a theatre kid at heart. Her dream musical theatre gig would be Chicago. Years ago, Lauren’s nan took her to the cinema to see the film and she’s loved it ever since. She says: “I think I’m probably more a Velma than a Roxy. I would love that. I’m manifesting.”

More immediately, when we spoke, Lauren was still waiting to hear details of this year’s Strictly line-up -– whether she is part of the series at all and if so, if she’s been allocated a partner. It’s hard to see why she wouldn’t be, but we’ll set about manifesting just in case.