Natalie Lowe

Natalie Lowe (born 15 August 1980) is an Australian ballroom dancer. She is a four-time Australian ballroom dance champion. Lowe competed on, and won, Australia's Dancing with the Stars with celebrity partner Anthony Koutoufides. She later joined the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing. She competed on Strictly for seven series, leaving after the 2016 series concluded.

Natalie Lowe
Born (1980-08-15) 15 August 1980
Sydney, Australia
OccupationDancer, choreographer
Years active2004–present
Spouse(s)James Knibbs
Children1

Early life

Lowe grew up in Sydney, Australia. Lowe's family lived next door to a ballroom dance studio. At age 5, Lowe began taking dance lessons after watching her older brother and sister dance. Lowe went on to become a four-time Australian ballroom dance Champion.[1]

Career

Australia's Dancing with the Stars

She joined Seven Network's Dancing with the Stars in 2004, partnering athlete Matt Shirvington. She then partnered Ian Roberts, and won the 2006 series with AFL footballer Anthony Koutoufides. Lowe then partnered Home and Away actor Tim Campbell, and, in 2008, partnered boxer Danny Green.

Series Partner Place
1 Matt Shirvington 5th
2 Ian Roberts 2nd
5 Anthony Koutoufides 1st
6 Tim Campbell 3rd
8 Danny Green 2nd

Strictly Come Dancing

Highest and lowest scoring performances per dance


In 2009, Lowe competed as a new professional dancer on the seventh series of the original British version of Strictly Come Dancing, partnering Hollyoaks' Ricky Whittle. Lowe joined the show with fellow newcomers Aliona Vilani and Katya Virshilas. After their first dance together in front of the judges, Lowe and Whittle were described by head judge Len Goodman as maybe the most formidable couple Strictly Come Dancing had ever seen. Even so, Lowe and Whittle finished second. Lowe competed in the 2010 series partnering Scott Maslen. Lowe and Maslen were eliminated in the semi-final of the competition along with Gavin Henson and Katya Virshilas.

On 15 June 2011, the BBC announced that Lowe would again be one of the professional dancers in the 2011 series of Strictly Come Dancing.[2] She was partnered by Audley Harrison (champion boxer) and they were the sixth couple to leave.[3] In the 2012 tenth series her partner was former England cricket captain Michael Vaughan; they placed 7th. In 2013, it was revealed that Lowe would return for the eleventh series; however she suffered a foot injury during training and was replaced by Aliona Vilani.[4] Lowe returned for the twelfth series, as partner to television presenter Tim Wonnacott. In March 2015 Lowe won comic relief special, 'The People's Strictly', with veteran, Cassidy Little. She also participated in the thirteenth series main series of the show and was partnered with celebrity chef Ainsley Harriott.[5] Harriott and Lowe were eliminated in the fifth week of competition.[6] Lowe then competed again with Little in the 2015 Christmas Special. In Series 14 she was partnered with Olympic long jump champion Greg Rutherford. On May 4, 2017, Lowe announced her departure from the show after seven series.[7]

Series Partner Place
7 Ricky Whittle 2nd
8 Scott Maslen 4th
9 Audley Harrison 9th
10 Michael Vaughan 7th
12 Tim Wonnacott 13th
13 Ainsley Harriott 12th
14 Greg Rutherford 7th

Series 7 – with celebrity dance partner Ricky Whittle

Series 8 – with celebrity dance partner Scott Maslen

Series 9 – with celebrity dance partner Audley Harrison

Series 10 – with celebrity dance partner Michael Vaughan

Series 12 – with celebrity dance partner Tim Wonnacott

Series 13 – with celebrity dance partner Ainsley Harriot

Series 14 - with celebrity dance partner Greg Rutherford

Other projects

Beginning in 2005, Lowe joined the cast of the ballroom dance stage show Burn the Floor.[8] Lowe toured with the show for five years.[9] In March 2013, Lowe launched FitSteps, a dance inspired fitness program, with fellow Strictly professional dancer Ian Waite and former Strictly celebrity Mark Foster.[10]

Personal life

In October 2015, Lowe announced her engagement to company director James Knibbs.[11] Lowe first met Knibbs when they sat opposite each other on a train ride to London.[11] Lowe married Knibbs in July 2018.[12] Lowe gave birth to a baby boy, Jack, in December 2019.[13]

References
  1. "Up close and personal with Strictly's finest". Ashbourne News Telegraph. 28 April 2013. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
  2. BBC Press Release 15 June 2011
  3. "Audley Harrison Leaves Strictly Come Dancing". www.bbc.co.uk. 13 November 2011. Retrieved 2 December 2011.
  4. Daisy Buchanan. "Strictly Come Dancing pro Aliona Vilani returns to the show, replacing injured Natalie Lowe - Mirror Online". Mirror.co.uk. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
  5. "Daniel is hoping for Strictly six-pack". RTE Ten. 5 September 2015. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
  6. Hogan, Michael (26 October 2015). "Strictly Come Dancing 2015: Ainsley Harriott says goodbye and what has happened to Bruno?". Telegraph. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
  7. Percival, Ash (4 May 2017). "'Strictly Come Dancing' Shock As A Favourite Pro Dancer Quits". HuffPost UK. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
  8. "Natalie Lowe - My Story". Retrieved 1 October 2016.
  9. "Uk Dance Elite Championship | Judges". ukdanceelitechampionship.com. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
  10. "FitSteps: brand-new fitness routine created by Strictly Come Dancing stars Ian Waite, Natalie Lowe and Mark Foster". Ashbourne News Telegraph. 14 January 2014. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  11. "Strictly Come Dancing star Natalie Lowe announces engagement". Hello!. 12 October 2015. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
  12. "Strictly's Natalie Lowe marries James Knibbs in star-studded Australian wedding – full story". HELLO!. 26 July 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
  13. Dosani, Rishma (7 December 2019). "Strictly Come Dancing's Natalie Lowe welcomes baby boy with husband James Knibbs". Metro. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
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