Strictly Come Dancing: Major shake-up as at least three pro dancers axed by bosses ahead of new series
On a quiet studio floor that usually hums with rehearsals, the absence is immediate: names that have filled marquees and tour posters will not appear when strictly come dancing returns. Producers have removed at least three professional dancers from the roster as part of a planned reset, and the ripple effects are already being felt among colleagues, partners and viewers.
What changed on Strictly Come Dancing?
Producers say they are pursuing a “fresh start” and the change is significant in scale. The three professionals who will not return to the ballroom are Gorka Marquez, Luba Mushtuk and Michelle Tsiakkas. Gorka has been a regular presence for a decade and reached the show final three times. Luba joined the company eight years ago and has had a handful of celebrity partners on the main programme, while Michelle, a more recent addition, joined in 2022 and took part in the 2024 series.
The has offered a brief institutional response on next steps: “Plans for Strictly Come Dancing 2026 will be confirmed in due course. ” That statement frames the official posture: the broadcaster is signalling change while keeping timing and detail close to the executive chest.
Who has left the ballroom — and what it means
For viewers, the removals mean familiar routines and personalities will be missing. Gorka Marquez, who met his wife Gemma Atkinson on the show in 2017, has been a fan favourite across multiple series. Luba Mushtuk, despite eight years with the show, had relatively few celebrity pairings on the main series, her most recent partner being Nick Knowles in 2024. Michelle Tsiakkas partnered with Jamie Borthwick in 2024 and previously danced with Brian McFadden on a Christmas special.
These departures arrive alongside the presentational shake-up already in motion. The long-running presenters who fronted the main show have stepped down, and new hosts have not been announced. Names linked to the role include broadcasters and performers discussed within the production, and one broadcaster, Zoe Ball, has publicly said she would “love” to take the job; she previously fronted the Strictly Come Dancing spin-off It Takes Two from 2011 until 2021 and hosted the live tour in 2011 and 2015.
The context provided by past controversies is part of the backdrop. Recent seasons included internal investigations into alleged conduct and, in earlier years, highly publicised incidents that affected show dynamics and public trust. One notable departure from a previous series involved a professional dancer who left the programme after complaints were made about behaviour during a partnership; the dancer denied the most serious allegations. There have also been historic episodes that drew intense media scrutiny over personal conduct off the dancefloor.
What comes next for the show
Production has begun contract meetings and the management message is clear: a new era is being sought. Executives are said to favour a mix of familiar presenting strengths and a more left-field comedic presence to maintain the lighter elements the programme once relied on. The ’s phrasing — that plans will be confirmed in due course — underlines both the scale of the change and the desire to control how it is unveiled to the public.
For professionals who remain, the shift will reshape partnership possibilities and the tour and spin-off ecosystems that sustain many dancers’ livelihoods. For audiences who tune in for personality as much as for choreography, the coming series will test whether a refreshed lineup can restore a sense of continuity while offering novelty.
Back on that dimmed rehearsal floor the story closes where it began: empty spots on the pro list, rehearsal timetables being rewritten, and a broadcaster promising clarity later. As the show prepares to reassert itself, the question hangs in the air—will the planned fresh start rekindle the connection audiences expect from strictly come dancing, or will it raise new tensions as the format is remade?
