Strictly's Pasha to perform farewell dance with Cheryl and co on The Greatest Dancer
The routine will be Pasha Kovalev's last dance with his fellow Strictly Come Dancing professionals
The Greatest Dancer semi-final will see a crossover between BBC1's two biggest dance contests — and mark the final farewell for one beloved Strictly pro dancer.
Dance captains Cheryl, Glee's Matthew Morrison and Strictly's own Oti Mabuse will team up with nine Strictly professional dancers — including Pasha Kovalev, who recently announced his imminent departure from the BBC1 series.
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The choreographed performance will be Kovalev's last dance with the Strictly professionals, after he confirmed he is leaving the show on Twitter on Wednesday.
Kovalev joined the series back in 2011, and was crowned Strictly champion with his celebrity partner Caroline Flack in 2014. In 2013, he partnered Countdown's Rachel Riley, with whom he is now in a relationship. In his last series, he danced opposite Ashley Roberts, reaching the finals with her.
In his resignation, Kovalev thanked "all the members of the public who’ve supported me so much over these years,” before praising “the incredible partners, professionals and myriad of behind the scenes teams who all work to make Strictly the amazing production that it is".
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Nine Strictly pro-dancers – including Gorka Marquez, Graziano Di Prima, Neil and Katya Jones and Nadiya Bychkova – will take part in the group routine during The Greatest Dancer semi-final. The show will also see the remaining six acts take to the stage, vying for a place in the final.
The Greatest Dancer semi-final airs Saturday 16th February at 7:35pm on BBC1
