The Strictly Come Dancing bloodbath appears to continue with reports that two more long-standing professional dancers’ futures are in question.
It’s now being claimed that both Katya Jones and Karen Hauer are at risk of being dropped from the show’s line-up ahead of its return in the autumn.
Despite both being long-standing stars of the shows, and a former winner and two-time finalist respectively, it’s being suggested that no-one is safe from murder on the dancefloor.
This comes after The Sun reported over the weekend that four other popular pros would not be returning for Strictly’s 24th series.
Gorka Marquez, Luba Mushtuk, Michelle Tsiakkas and Nadiya Bychkova have all been dropped, according to TV insiders.
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Meanwhile, co-stars Neil Jones and Nancy Xu will reportedly remain part of the programme but will not be assigned celebrity partners. They may still feature in group routines.
The Sun has suggested that a full list of ‘who’s in and who’s out’ won’t be published until next month but that ‘difficult conversations’ are already happening with pros.
And now Karen, 43, and Katya, 36, are also waiting in anxious limbo to learn their fates.
A show insider told the outlet that while it had been ‘some time’ since there was a ‘churn’ in the pro line-up ‘they do happen every few years and there hasn’t been a big one in some time’.
They added: ‘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.’
‘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.’
Karen is the longest-serving female pro in Strictly history, having joined in 2012 and partnered the likes of Westlife’s Nicky Byrne, Hairy Biker Dave Myers, Jamie Laing – who she came joint second with in 2020 – and comedian Jayde Adams.
She also reached the final with Mark Wright in 2014.
Katya came onboard in 2016, and her partners have included former Labour MP Ed Balls, boxer Nicola Adams and comic Seann Walsh.
She was Strictly champion in 2017 with Casualty actor Joel McFadden and finished fifth on the most recent series with Lewis Cope.
Metro has contacted the BBC and reps for Karen Hauer and Katya Jones for comment.
More to follow.
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