Fan-favourite Strictly Come Dancing professional Nadiya Bychkova has reportedly been axed from the show’s lineup.
It comes amid speculation of a mass cull ahead of the 2026 series, with Gorka Marquez, Luba Mushtuk, and Michelle Tsiakkas also said to have been dropped.
According to the latest, Nadiya, whose last partner was Chris Robshaw in 2025, is ‘distraught’ following her meeting with BBC bosses on Friday, who informed her that she wouldn’t be returning.
Nadiya, 36, joined the Strictly family in 2017, the same series when Amy Dowden and Dianne Buswell also came on board.
Her other past celebrity partners have included Lee Ryan, Matt Goss, and Tom Dean. While she’s never made the final, Nadiya came closest in 2021 with Dan Walker, who placed fifth.
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‘The news came as such a huge shock, as Nadiya’s life was Strictly, and to find out she’s not been invited back as a full-time pro has really broken her heart,’ said a source.
‘No one was expecting producers to chop so many professionals.’
They added to The Sun that axing someone like Nadiya, especially, is a shock, given that she’s ‘shown so much dedication to the show over the years.’
In the past, Nadiya herself has sparked rumours that she might be quitting, having promoted various other projects on her social media.
But she’s also been vocal about her early eliminations from the programme, saying in 2024 that she was ‘devastated’ when Olympian Tom was voted out first.
In a cryptic caption after the results, she also wrote: ‘I really appreciate all the messages but I’m not ready to talk about what happened tonight just yet.’
Fans have long fought her corner, claiming she has been ‘wronged’ by the voting outcomes and pleading for her to be given a partner with dance experience to improve her chances of winning.
As for the dynamic between the surviving professionals, there’s believed to be a ‘super weird feeling’ among them all now.
‘They’re all wondering if they’re safe, and everyone’s nervous.’
When approached for comment, a Strictly spokesperson told Metro: ‘Plans for Strictly Come Dancing 2026 will be confirmed in due course.’
Earlier today, insiders said that ‘major changes are taking place’ at Strictly, with dancers having meetings over the coming weeks to discuss their contracts.
Sadly, this has resulted in the likes of Gorka, Luba, and Michelle being nudged out, as ‘bosses want a fresh start and to bring in new faces after all the drama in recent years and create a new era.’
Spanish choreographer Gorka has been part of the Strictly furniture for nearly a decade, famously reaching the final three times with Maisie Smith, Alexandra Burke, and Helen Skelton. He also met his real-life partner, Gemma Atkinson, on the show.
Gorka was absent for much of last series due to conflicting judging commitments on Strictly’s Spanish version, but he still appeared in the group routines, so while his axing is a surprise, perhaps some saw it coming.
As for Luba, she’s also a long-standing professional, having joined the show eight years ago. While she’s competed with the likes of Adam Thomas, she has been benched in recent seasons.
Michelle, on the other hand, is a relative newcomer, joining in 2022 alongside Vito Coppola, Carlos Gu, and Lauren Oakley. In 2024, she made it to week 10 with EastEnders actor Jamie Borthwick.
It’s safe to say audiences aren’t happy upon learning that the nation’s favourite dance show might have a totally different look when it returns in autumn.
Taking to X, @matt_johnson_89 said it is a ‘big mistake’ to drop Nadiya, while @RyanSoapKing25 is ‘heartbroken’ for Michelle, believing her fate to have been ‘sealed’ after Jamie’s scandal, which involved him being filmed using a disabled slur backstage.
@Steph832 is also hoping the reports ‘aren’t true,’ with an anxious @emilyslotx writing: ‘genuinely do not believe it until strictly confirms’.
Meanwhile, rumours continue to swirl around the upcoming series regarding who will replace Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman as hosts.
The duo stepped down last year in an emotional goodbye, with the likes of Zoe Ball, Emma Willis, Alex Jones, Rylan Clark, and Bradley Walsh now in the running for the gig.
Reps for Nadiya Bychkova declined to comment.
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