# Lauren Oakley

Lauren May Oakley (born 28 February 1991) is an English professional dancer and choreographer, best known for appearing as a professional on the BBC One television series Strictly Come Dancing.

## Early life

Oakley was born on 28 February 1991 in Birmingham, England. She began dancing at the age of 2 and began competing in Ballroom and Latin dance at the age of 7.

## Career

Oakley became Juvenile Champion at the Blackpool Dance Festival, winning across both Ballroom and Latin disciplines and also became Under 21 British National Champion before beginning a career on stage. She has toured the world as part of the live dance show Burn the Floor and has starred as the "leading lady" in the national tour Him & Me alongside Giovanni Pernice and Anton Du Beke. and has starred in Pernice's solo tour This Is Me.

### Strictly Come Dancing

In July 2022, Oakley was announced to be joining the twentieth series of Strictly Come Dancing as a professional, along with Vito Coppola, Carlos Gu, and Michelle Tsiakkas. Upon her appointment as a professional, Oakley said "[She had] grown up watching Strictly, always hoping that one day [she] could be part of the best show on television, doing what [she loves] the most. Now that it’s happening, it doesn’t quite seem real. I can’t wait to start this new sequined adventure and join this incredible family." Oakley did not partner a celebrity for her first series, and instead took part in the professional group routines.
The following year, she was paired with presenter and journalist Krishnan Guru-Murthy for the twenty-first series. They were eliminated in the eighth week of the competition after losing the dance off to Angela Rippon and Kai Widdrington.
Oakley returned for the twenty-second series and did not receive a celebrity partner. She danced however, with JLS singer JB Gill in the show's 7th week, standing in for an ill Amy Dowden. The following Monday it was confirmed that Oakley would partner Gill for the remainder of the series, as Dowden withdrew from the series due to a foot injury. The couple reached the final, but ultimately lost out to Chris McCausland and his partner Dianne Buswell.
| Series | Partner | Place | Average Score |
| 21 | Krishnan Guru-Murthy | 8th | 26.4 |
| 22 | JB Gill | 2nd | 35.6 |

#### Series 21: with celebrity partner Krishnan Guru-Murthy

| Week # | Dance / Song | Judges' score | Judges' score | Judges' score | Judges' score | Judges' score | Result |
| Week # | Dance / Song | Horwood | Mabuse | Ballas | Du Beke | Total | Result |
| 1 | Cha-cha-cha / "Boom Shack-A-Lak" | 5 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 22 | No Elimination |
| 2 | Foxtrot / "Love Really Hurts Without You" | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 20 | Safe |
| 3 | Charleston / "Money, Money" | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 30 | Safe |
| 4 | Paso Doble / "By the Way" | 6 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 28 | Safe |
| 5 | Quickstep / "The Lady Is a Tramp" | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 30 | Safe |
| 6 | Viennese waltz / "Kiss from a Rose" | 6 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 27 | Safe |
| 7 | Couple's Choice / "You Can Call Me Al" | 6 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 29 | Safe |
| 8 | Samba / "Bamboléo" | 5 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 25 | Eliminated |

#### Series 22: with celebrity partner JB Gill

| Week # | Dance / Song | Judges' score | Judges' score | Judges' score | Judges' score | Judges' score | Result |
| Week # | Dance / Song | Horwood | Mabuse | Ballas | Du Beke | Total | Result |
| 7 | Couple's Choice / "Uptown Funk", "Treasure", & "24K Magic" | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 39 | Safe |
| 8 | Samba / "Mas que Nada" | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 37 | Safe |
| 9 | Quickstep / "Never Gonna Give You Up" | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 35 | Safe |
| 10 | Charleston / "Yes Sir, That's My Baby" Samba-a-thon / "Conga" — Gloria Estefan & "La Vida Es Un Carnaval" — Celia Cruz | 9 Awarded | 10 7 | 10 extra | 10 points | 39 46 | Safe |
| 11 | Viennese waltz / "Let's Go Fly a Kite" | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 39 | Safe |
| 12 | Paso Doble / "Requiem for a Tower" Salsa / "Red Alert" | 9 10 | 10 10 | 10 10 | 10 10 | 39 40 | Safe |
| 13 | Viennese waltz / "Let's Go Fly a Kite" Showdance / "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" Samba / "Mas que Nada" | 10 9 10 | 10 10 10 | 10 10 10 | 10 10 10 | 40 39 40 | Runners-Up |