Two more fan-favourites could be at risk as the BBC plans the biggest shake-up yet of the Strictly Come Dancing professional line-up.
Two Strictly pros are said to be on the chopping block(Image: BBC)
Two additional Strictly Come Dancing professionals may face the chop from the show. Reports have emerged that four dancers – Nadiya Bychkova, 36, Gorka Marquez, 35, Luba Mushtuk, 36 and Michelle Tsiakkas, 30 – are potentially facing removal from the line-up.
Fresh reports now suggest that beloved ballroom favourites Katya Jones and Karen Hauer could also be vulnerable as the BBC prepares what could be the most significant overhaul of their professional dancer roster to date.
The programme is experiencing a period of substantial transformation, with presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman also departing following their surprising announcement last year that they would be leaving the BBC.
An insider told The Sun: “It’s been some time since there was a ‘churn’ in the pro line-up, but they do happen every few years and there hasn’t been a big one in some time. The way producers look at it is a little like running a football team: even after Man City win the league they still change their team around and bring in fresh blood constantly, to stay at the top of their game.
Strictly Come Dancing’s Katya Jones was partnered with Lewis Cope last year(Image: BBC)
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“A lot of the people going are now established names and stars in their own right but you have to remember that to be on the show, they also had to replace someone else at one point.”
These developments follow earlier claims from an insider suggesting that several dancers, including Nadiya Bychkova, would not be returning to the programme, reports the Mirror.
The source described it as an “out with the old, in with the new” strategy, suggesting that her age of 36 may have been a contributing factor in the decision.
An insider suggested: “Her axing smacks of ageism,” claiming: “They’re clearing all the old crew out to make way for new dancers.”
Strictly Come Dancing star Nadiya Bychkova has been part of the BBC show since 2017(Image: Nadiya Bychkova Instagram)
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The source further noted that Nadiya enjoys immense popularity amongst viewers and she “can’t understand why she won’t be back”. Reports indicate Nadiya was left “devastated” upon learning the news.
Gorka Marquez, 35, Luba Mushtuk, 36 and Michelle Tsiakkas, 30, are also understood to be departing the show. Gorka sat out last year’s series without a celebrity partner owing to his work on the Spanish edition, Bailando Con Las Estrellas, whilst both Luba and Michelle similarly remained unpartnered throughout the season.
In a joint announcement regarding their departure, presenters Tess and Claudia described their tenure on the programme as an “absolute dream”.
The shake-up comes after Tess and Claudia confirmed their exit(Image: BBC)
They commented: “We have loved working as a duo and hosting Strictly has been an absolute dream. We were always going to leave together and now feels like the right time. We will have the greatest rest of this amazing series and we just want to say an enormous thank you to the BBC and to every single person who works on the show.
“They’re the most brilliant team and we’ll miss them every day. We will cry when we say the last “keep dancing” but we will continue to say it to each other. Just possibly in tracksuit bottoms at home while holding some pizza.”
Strictly Come Dancing will air later on this year.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.devonlive.com ’
