STRICTLY Come Dancing has signed up a new Italian dancer to replace Giovanni Pernice on the BBC1 series. Simone Arena, 33, whose girlfriend Michelle Tsiakkas, 29 is also on the show, is set to be a new dancer after BBC producers revealed that two new pros would join the line-up this autumn. 3 Italian dancer Simone Arena has signed up to be a pro dancer on Strictly Credit: Instagram 3 Arena's girlfriend Michelle Tsiakkas is already on the show Credit: Getty It comes after Giovanni, 34, quit the scandal-hit show last summer after nine years on Strictly as he faced allegations over his training methods with previous celebrity partners — including 51-year-old actress Amanda Abbington. A source said: “Simone blew the Strictly bosses away when he auditioned as a new professional on the show. “He is no stranger to the Strictly format after previously starring as a pro on the Belgian, Italian and Irish versions of the series. “Simone is well known among the pros and his girlfriend Michelle loved her time on the series last year. READ MORE ON STRICTLY new blood Strictly fans convinced show has signed hunky dancer who dates series pro “Fans will be delighted with Simone because he is very easy on the eye and certainly charming.” In 2020 Simone joined the cast of Giovanni’s This Is Me Tour - but it was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Simone won the Belgian Dancing With The Stars with Olympic gymnast Nina Derwael, 25, in 2022. In the same year his girlfriend Michelle joined the cast of Strictly and received her first celebrity partner last year with EastEnders actor Jamie Borthwick, 30. Simone and Michelle met on the live dance tour - Burn The Floor - which has toured across the world - including Broadway in New York City and London’s West End. Fellow Italian pro dancer Graziano Di Prima, 30, was axed from the hit BBC show amid claims he hit, kicked and spat at his celebrity partner Zara McDermott, 28. Giovanni Pernice drops new hint he’ll return to Strictly Come Dancing amid fears two stars are quitting Last week Strictly bosses revealed the list of pro dancers who would be returning to the show this year. The list included Katya Jones, Jowita Pryzstal and Kai Widdrington as well as last year’s winner Dianne Buswell, who took home the 2024 glitterball with her celebrity partner, comedian Chris McCausland. Nadiya Bychkova, Aljaž Škorjanec, Amy Dowden, Carlos Gu, Gorka Márquez, Karen Hauer, Lauren Oakley, Luba Mushtuk, Nancy Xu, Neil Jones, Nikita Kuzmin, Vito Coppola and Michelle are all returning for the 2025. Sarah James, Executive Producer, BBC Studios said: “The excitement is already building ahead of the new series and in addition to welcoming back our fantastic returning pros, we are looking forward to welcoming two brand new professional dancers to the line up who will help bring another unforgettable series of dazzling dance and loads more besides to viewers later in 2025.”