Strictly Come Dancing is returning this autumn, but it will look very different when it does.
At the end of last year, stalwart Strictly duo Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman announced they were exiting the ballroom floor after over a decade of helming the ship together.
Although we have no official word yet on who will step into their dance shoes, there are a handful of frontrunners, including One Show’s Alex Jones, Rylan Clark, Zoe Ball and Alison Hammond.
Then, in the past few weeks, there has been a reported mass culling of Strictly pros, including Gorka Marquez, Luba Mushtuk, Michelle Tsiakkas, Nadiya Bychkova and the longest serving female pro, Karen Hauer.
The latter two have already released emotional statements confirming their time on the show is ‘evolving’ and coming to an end.
Get personalised updates on Strictly
Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro’s TV Newsletter.
Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we’ll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you.
Meanwhile, Neil Jones, 43, and Nancy Xu, 34, are understood to be benched, which means they will not be assigned a celebrity partner for the upcoming series.
In fact the only realm of Strictly that remains untouched right now is the judging panel, with Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke and Shirley Ballas staying where they are for now.
With so much change in the air, fans have left wondering about the future of the flagship reality show. We asked Metro readers just what they thought about all this upheaval.
What are Metro readers saying?
Some viewers are feeling optimistic about a show shakeup to breathe new life into the series and are ready to give it a chance.
‘We will only know when we watch the first couple of episodes of the new season!
‘Claudia and Tess were the best presenters in the history of the show, so the next presenter(s) need to bring something very different and special if they’re going to be successful: trying to copy their predecessors will be a disaster!’ Chris Jackets noted with a small warning.
Andrew Wattsford had a similar approach, noting: ‘We’ll all know within 5 minutes as to whether the changes have worked or not. It’s a challenging time for the production team as it really is make or break.’
Maureen Brown pointed out that this is not the first time the show has had changes. The late and legendary Bruce Forsyth stepped back from hosting duties in 2014, Anton graduated to being a judge and several pros have come and gone over the years (whether by choice or not).
In that spirit, Maureen wrote: ‘For as long as genuine people love to watch dance and find joy in music and people learning to perfect with the same joy it will survive.’
Sur McCormack posed that the success would largely rest on the shoulders of whoever the ‘new presenters’ are, while Joanne Blacker ‘welcomes the opportunity to freshen up the dancers, judges and presenters’.
‘Definitely needs refreshing. The ratings are low, but it could recover with imaginative improvements,’ Bonnie Mitchell declared.
The finale of the 2025 season, which saw Karen Carney and Carlos Gu lift the glitterball trophy, drew in 8.4 million viewers, which is down on 2024’s 8.6 million, reflecting a wider downtrend for the series.
On the flip side, others have shared concern that this could push loyal fans away by stripping away any familiarity.
What does Metro think of the axing of Strictly pros?
There’s no definitive word on why the professional dancers are being ‘axed’ but it’s been reported that the BBC may be heading toward a more social-media friendly direction.
Columnist Adam Miller weighed in with his two pence…
Whether we like it or not, TikTok is rapidly becoming one of the most valuable metrics of success, and Strictly does need to adapt or risk being left behind.
But recruiting professional dancers based on TikTok engagement, not talent, sets an ugly precedent.
A source told The Sun: ‘Strictly is always looking for ways to grow its audience – not just in size, but in attracting younger viewers. Social media is a massive part of that, and TikTok is the perfect platform for a show built on music and dance. They won’t lose someone purely for lacking a following, but it might be the thing that saves them.’
And that’s the problem.
Prioritising social media popularity above all else is an unsettling move which won’t have the earth-shattering benefits to make it worthwhile.
Strictly does need younger viewers – but every dancer leaving the show already had the potential to help bring them in.
‘I think they should be keeping as many dancers as possible, to try to keep it as familiar is it can, when losing both presenters,’ Marie Brewer said.
‘With all their cuts I think they will push fans away,’ Lynn Charlton warned.
‘It wasn’t good when Tess and Claudia left but taking all our favourite dancers off it’s just too much,’ Jean Smith shared.
‘They needs to be super careful not to change too much, or they will put people off. Strictly has worked well for all these years, so it doesn’t need a complete over-haul … that could ruin it forever,’ Boo Fortescue wrote.
‘Depending on who they put in charge I probably won’t watch it!’ Pattie said.
Some have even gone as far as to say that with declining ratings, this time of change could even be a good time to rest the show, even for a short while.
As for the BBC, Metro understands that plans for the Strictly 2026 season will be announced in due course.
Strictly Come Dancing returns this autumn to BBC One.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
