Aliona Vilani is set to rejoin Strictly Come Dancing, just seven months after leaving the show to start a family with husband Vincent Kavanagh. Aliona, 32, is said to be in talks to return to the BBC dance contest as a choreographer, and is the first in line to step in if another dancer has an injury.
She will also open the series by dancing with Jay McGuiness, who she waltzed to victory with last year.
Aliona will open the new series by dancing with Jay McGuiness
A source told the Mirror: "She is bored and really keen to get back on the show in some capacity. She is currently talking to show bosses about having a choreography role, and she is their number one dancer to turn to if someone has an injury.
"She is over the moon and realised she was a bit hasty in her decision to quit."
Aliona's return comes after fellow professional dancers Ola Jordan, Kristina Rihanoff, Tristan McManus and Gleb Savchenko confirmed they would not be returning for the next series of Strictly. It was announced last month that Katya Jones, Oksana Platero and Gorka Marquez would be joining the team.
© Photo: Getty ImagesAliona feels she was "too hasty" in her decision to leave Strictly
Gleb recently revealed that he was leaving the hit BBC show because he wants to devote more time to his wife Elena and daughter Olivia. "We spend a lot of time away from each other and it was really difficult for us, so I had to make a decision as a unit to be together as a whole family," he said.
"They were flying back and forth visiting me but it was really hard. Olivia is going to be starting school, she will be six in November. I want to be there for her, wake up with her every morning and cook her breakfast and take her to school."
A series of celebrities has already been linked to the upcoming series, including Louise Redknapp, Ryan Thomas, Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes and Cheryl.
