The brand new dance talent show for BBC One Saturday nights is hosted by singer and presenter Alesha Dixon and Jordan Banjo, a member of multi-award winning dance troupe Diversity.

Auditions for The Greatest Dancer, a co-production between creator Syco Entertainment and Thames (part of FremantleMedia UK), are taking place in Birmingham at the ICC with the series due to air in 2019.

The show will feature a host of talent from across the world of dance from ballet to jazz, hip hop to Bollywood as they give the performances of their lives in the hope of being named The Greatest Dancer.

Expect dramatic auditions, incredible challenges and remarkable live performances as dancers swing, swirl and sashay onto the stage each week.

Leading the charge to discover The Greatest Dancer will be the three Dance Captains, who have a wealth of experience in dance and performance.

Cheryl has scored nine No. 1 singles in her career to date and is an experienced dancer and performer; Oti is a star of Strictly Come Dancing and an eight-time Latin American champion in South Africa, while Matthew is a Tony, Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated Broadway legend and star of TV hit Glee.

The Dance Captains will have the tough job of whittling down the acts that get through the audition stage, before picking who they want to mentor and take through to the live shows.

Cheryl says: “I’m so excited to be part of The Greatest Dancer! I’m looking for acts with real passion, who are going to push boundaries and give it their all, no matter what challenges are thrown at them. From my own dance background, I know the dedication and commitment dancing takes, I can’t wait to get started.”

Matthew says: “This is such a powerful moment for me. It’s wonderful to continue bringing music and dance into peoples’ lives like we did on Glee. Dance is a safe haven that allows us to communicate where words cannot. It’s an expression of love and empowerment, driven by all the emotions that make us human. I love being exposed to people who are pursuing art, and expression, and I look forward to being a moving force for good on their journey. As a Dance Captain, my sincere hope is that I can uplift and encourage all the dancers here reach their greatness.”

Oti says: “I’m looking forward to finding a dancer who can elicit emotion from the audience, I know how it feels to be on the other side and to be judged and critiqued for your dance or choreography. I’m looking forward to being able to find amazing new talent and help them unlock their greatest potential to become the best dancers they can be, and win the competition. I can’t explain how excited I am to be a part of this show.”

Notes to Editors

The Greatest Dancer will be executive produced by Nigel Hall, Global Head of Television, Syco Entertainment, Amelia Brown, Managing Director, Thames TV and Louise Hutchinson, Executive Producer, Thames TV.

The series has been commissioned for BBC One by Charlotte Moore, Director BBC Content, and Kate Phillips, Controller Entertainment Commissioning. The Commissioning Editor for the BBC is Kalpna Patel-Knight.

This commission marks the first Syco/Thames co-production for the BBC.

Pictured: Oti Mabuse, Matthew Morrison, Cheryl