Jowita Przystał has become one of the most recognizable professional dancers on British television thanks to her breakout success on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing. Known for her energetic choreography, charismatic personality, and emotional performances, the Polish ballroom dancer quickly rose from newcomer status to becoming one of the show’s biggest stars.
Her rise in the UK entertainment industry has been unusually fast. After moving to Britain in 2019, Przystał first gained national attention by winning The Greatest Dancer in 2020 alongside dance partner Michael Danilczuk. Just one year later, she joined Strictly Come Dancing as a professional dancer, eventually making history in 2022 by winning the competition with wildlife presenter Hamza Yassin during her first season with a celebrity partner.
Outside of television, fans have also become increasingly interested in her background, relationships, and personal life. Here is everything to know about Jowita Przystał, including her early life, dance career, Strictly success, relationship history, and why she became one of the BBC show’s standout stars.
Jowita Przystał Began Dancing in Poland
Jowita Przystał was born on August 22, 1994, in Kraków, Poland, though multiple Polish publications note that she later grew up in Czeladź in southern Poland.
She started dancing at a very young age and quickly became deeply involved in competitive ballroom and Latin dance. According to dance profiles and Polish media reports, Przystał trained intensively throughout her teenage years and eventually became one of Poland’s top Latin dancers.
Her biggest early competitive achievement came in 2014 when she and longtime dance partner Michael Danilczuk became Polish Open Latin Champions.
Before her UK television fame, Przystał had already appeared in Polish talent shows including You Can Dance and Mam Talent!, helping her gain recognition in Poland’s dance scene.
Dance became the central focus of her life very early, and she later described ballroom dancing as both a profession and personal passion.
After ending her competitive dance career, Przystał joined the internationally touring dance company Burn the Floor in 2015. The production is known globally for combining ballroom dance with theatrical stage performance.
During this period, she traveled extensively and performed in productions including Legally Blonde, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, and Rock of Ages.
These experiences helped expand her performance style beyond formal ballroom competitions. Instead of focusing only on technical dance scoring, she developed a more theatrical stage presence that later became one of her strengths on Strictly Come Dancing.
In 2019, Przystał and Michael Danilczuk moved to London to pursue greater opportunities in the UK entertainment industry. That decision changed her career completely.
Winning The Greatest Dancer Changed Everything
In 2020, Przystał and Michael Danilczuk competed on BBC One’s The Greatest Dancer, a dance competition series created by Simon Cowell and Syco Entertainment.
Mentored by former Strictly champion Oti Mabuse, the pair impressed audiences with highly emotional ballroom routines and eventually won the competition. Their victory earned them a £50,000 prize and an opportunity to perform on Strictly Come Dancing. The exposure dramatically raised Przystał’s profile in Britain.
Many viewers and industry insiders immediately noticed her stage charisma and camera presence, which made her a natural fit for Strictly. Just one year later, the BBC officially announced her as a new professional dancer for the nineteenth series of the show.
For Przystał, joining Strictly represented a personal dream. In later interviews, she described becoming part of the show as surreal because she had watched and admired it for years before moving to the UK.
Przystał joined Strictly Come Dancing in 2021 but initially appeared only in group dances rather than receiving a celebrity partner.
Everything changed during the 2022 season. That year, she was paired with wildlife cameraman and television presenter Hamza Yassin. Despite Yassin having limited dance experience, the pair quickly became fan favorites because of their chemistry, warmth, and storytelling performances.
On December 17, 2022, they won the entire competition. The victory made Przystał the first female Strictly professional dancer to win with her first celebrity partner.
Their success transformed Przystał into one of the show’s breakout stars. Viewers praised her choreography, teaching ability, and supportive partnership style.
The win also dramatically expanded her popularity across social media and British entertainment media.
As Przystał’s visibility increased, public interest in her dating life grew as well.
For many years, she was in a relationship with fellow dancer Michael Danilczuk, her longtime dance partner and The Greatest Dancer teammate. Reports state the pair were together for roughly a decade before eventually separating.
Later, British tabloids linked Przystał romantically with fellow Strictly professional Giovanni Pernice after the pair were reportedly seen kissing backstage during the 2022 season. Multiple UK media outlets later reported that the relationship ended in 2023.
More recently, her partnership with television personality Pete Wicks during the 2024 Strictly season sparked fresh “showmance” rumors after their close chemistry and on-stage kiss generated headlines. Neither officially confirmed a romantic relationship.
As of recent reports, Przystał is generally believed to be single, though she remains relatively private about her personal life publicly.
Why Jowita Przystał Became So Popular on Strictly
One reason Przystał connected so strongly with audiences is her combination of technical ability and emotional warmth.
Unlike some professional dancers who appear highly competitive or intimidating, Przystał built a reputation for encouraging and emotionally supportive partnerships. Judges and fans frequently praised her ability to help nervous celebrity contestants gain confidence.
Her choreography style also stands out because of its balance between traditional ballroom technique and modern theatrical presentation. Years spent touring with Burn the Floor likely influenced this performance-driven approach.
Additionally, her own story resonates strongly with viewers. Przystał moved countries, rebuilt her career in a new industry, and quickly achieved success through determination and adaptability.
That narrative helped audiences connect with her beyond the dance floor itself
Since her Strictly victory, Przystał has remained one of the BBC show’s featured professional dancers.
She later partnered Paralympian Jody Cundy in 2023 and television personality Pete Wicks in 2024, reaching the semi-finals with Wicks despite heavy media scrutiny and online criticism surrounding public voting.
Reports also show Przystał continuing with live dance tours and UK television appearances while maintaining a growing social media following.
Her Instagram presence now attracts hundreds of thousands of followers interested in dance, fitness, fashion, and behind-the-scenes Strictly content.
At only 31 years old, Przystał is still relatively early in her mainstream television career, meaning her profile may continue growing significantly in the coming years.
