Strictly Come Dancing’s preposterous reason for axing pro dancers is heartbreaking

As it stands, at least five professional dancers have been given the chop (Picture: Anthony Devlin/Hogan Media/Shutterstock)

Strictly Come Dancing is moving with the times – but going about it in completely the wrong way.

It’s been revealed that the BBC series has been choosing to keep or axe talent based on their social media following, an unnerving trend that’s infiltrating countless industries and leaving genuinely talented people behind.

Change – and plenty of it – has been front and centre at Strictly for a while now. Last October, it was revealed the show planned to start a new chapter with fresh hosts, and earlier this month, the show had its biggest cull of dancers to date. 

As it stands, at least five professional dancers have been given the chop, including the longest-serving female pro, Karen Hauer, alongside Nadiya Bychkova, Luba Mushtuk and Michelle Tsiakkas. 

Gorka Márquez is also leaving after almost a decade, though the announcement of his spot judging the Spanish version of the show makes the news of his departure far less surprising.

Neil Jones and Nancy Xu were saved, but will be benched in the upcoming series, and not be given celebrity partners. 

It’s also suggested that It Takes Two hosts Janette Manrara and Fleur East will be replaced ahead of the 2026 season. 

In response to the rumours, the BBC told Metro that ‘It is factually incorrect to claim that either has been “axed”. Plans for Strictly Come Dancing 2026 will be confirmed in due course,’ – but it’s hardly the most convincing denial, and given the recent bloodbath, it’s hard to put much faith in it. 

Gorka Márquez is also leaving after almost a decade (Picture: BBC/Ray Burmiston)

There’s a lot to be said for consistency – keeping the same dancers and allowing them to build relationships with viewers over time. Familiarity isn’t just valuable; it’s long been one of Strictly’s greatest strengths.

And I do understand that, like everything else, Strictly can’t ignore the shift in how audiences consume media.

Saturday Night Live UK launched this weekend to a respectable 226,000 overnight viewers – a solid, if unspectacular, start for Sky. But overnight figures aren’t the focus anymore. Tina Fey’s opening monologue has already racked up more than six million views online, with other sketches close behind. 

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.

Prioritising social media popularity above all else is an unsettling move (Picture: Guy Levy/BBC/PA Wire)

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.

Perhaps they were given an ultimatum: work harder on TikTok or risk the chop. I can’t believe for a second that any of them wouldn’t have embraced the challenge if it benefited them or the show.

When I watch Strictly, I want to believe I’m watching amateur celebrities being trained by the very best dancers in the world – people who’ve earned their reputations through championships and elite competition. 

People whose value comes from their achievements on the dance floor, not their performance online.

I don’t want a new intake of pros chosen because they know how to go viral. 

The most frustrating thing is that Strictly already has a tried-and-tested way to attract younger audiences. 

Year after year, its celebrity lineup increasingly leans into social media stars. These are names even I, an entertainment journalist, don’t always recognise – and more often than not, I end up loving them.

I was thrilled when I heard George Clarke would be entering the ballroom in 2025, only to realise it wasn’t the middle-aged architect I had in mind, but a 25-year-old YouTuber.

Clarke joined a growing list of social media stars who weren’t cast to appeal to me but won me over completely (Picture: Anthony Devlin/Hogan Media/Shutterstock)

And yet he quickly became one of my favourites. His journey had cross-generational appeal – a hopeful example of positive masculinity that I’d want young people, including my nephew to look up to.

Clarke joined a growing list of social media stars who weren’t cast to appeal to me but won me over completely: Joe Sugg, Molly Rainford and Saffron Barker all proved their worth on the dance floor.

And naturally, their professional partners benefit from the exposure too. But Nadiya’s 19.6k TikTok following was never going to skyrocket from partnering with Dan Walker or Matt Goss, like Alexis’s did, to 190k, when she was paired with George Clarke. 

This is exactly what makes it an unfair metric to judge the pros by – they have absolutely no control over who their partners are.

The professionals are the beating heart of Strictly(Picture: David Fisher/Shutterstock)

The professionals are the beating heart of Strictly – an essential, often overlooked force who work harder than anyone else. And the show has always been about turning stars into dancers – not turning professional dancers into algorithmsand this is a sad decline to watch.

Of course, every Strictly star knows the importance of building a social media presence. But for a show built on heart, skill and credibility, I can’t accept that it’s the most important thing. 

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