Strictly Come Dancing is reportedly in the midst of a professional dancer mass cull.
The so-called bloodbath front hit over the weekend, when it was first reported that three of the famed twizzlers on the BBC ballroom floor had been shown the door.
Since then, further reports have only added names to the pile of those reportedly told they would not be able to ‘keeeeeep dancing’ after all, amid ongoing conversations over the future of the show in a post Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly-hosting world.
So, who could be leaving the show ahead of the 2026 series?
Who is rumoured to be leaving Strictly?
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The total of pros said to have been scraped – again, to stress, none of this has been confirmed – comes to five, with two additional stars reportedly relegated to the sidelines.
Gorka Marquez, 35, Luba Mushtuk, 36, and Michelle Tsiakkas, 30, were the first reported to have been axed from the show, according to The Sun.
The publication then added Nadiya Bychkova, 36, to the pile, while Neil Jones, 43, and Nancy Xu, 34, are said to have been benched and will not be assigned a celebrity partner for the upcoming series.
It was claimed yesterday that the decision to let Bychkova go came down to her alleged behaviour behind the scenes, including a claim of ‘diva-like outbursts’, which a source made to the Daily Mail.
The latest – and potentially most shocking – dancer who’s reported to have been axed is the show’s longest-serving female pro Karen Hauer, 43.
As if that wasn’t enough names, it was then reported that Katya Jones, 36, was at risk. However, it has since been claimed the Russian dancer is set to sign a new contract for what will be her 10th anniversary on the show, according to the Mail.
The full list of dancers rumours to have been axed
- Gorka Marquez
- Luba Mushtuk
- Michelle Tsiakkas
- Karen Hauer
- Nadiya Bychkova
A source told Metro that Aljaž Škorjanec, 36, is also returning to the show for his 24th series, despite rumblings to the contrary. The Mail has also reported that Carlos Gu and Johannes Radebe have been given the proverbial green light that their jobs are safe.
Metro understands that official plans for Strictly Come Dancing 2026 will be announced by the BBC in due course.
The official line-up tends to be announced every April, so we shouldn’t have to wait long for a clearer picture of which cast members will be locked in.
Strictly Come Dancing returns to the BBC this autumn.
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