A handful Come strictly dance‘S longest-serving professionals are ‘at risk’ of being dropped from the show if the BBC looks forward to “a new start”.
After a wave of accusations surfaced about the behavior of the show’s professional dancers earlier this yearreports suggest bosses are planning a new generation of younger ballroom dancers to freshen up its image, putting five names at risk of being dropped.
According to The sunThose at risk of being dropped are reportedly some of the show’s oldest professionals, including Nadiya Bychkova, who joined the show in 2017, Neil Jones (2016), Karen Hauer (2012), Gorka Marquez (2016) and Katya Jones (2016).
Four of them have already been eliminated from this year’s competition Jones, who competes with Wynne Evans, the only one left standing.
Younger professionals, such as Jowita Pryzstal, who works with Pete Wicks, and Vito Coppola, who dances with Sarah Hadland, continue to dazzle viewers. Another professional said to be safe from the alleged turmoil is Nikita Kuzmin, who was eliminated with his celebrity partner Sam Quek on weekends.
It is thought the BBC is looking for the next generation of dancers to freshen up Strictly‘s image following a series of allegations that continued to rock the show throughout its 20th anniversary series.
Earlier this year, Amanda Abbington made a series of allegations about the behavior of professional Giovanni Pernice, who she danced with in last year’s series, prompting the BBC to ax him from the 2024 series and launch a formal investigation. Another long-standing professional, Graziano Di Prima, was also axed from the series amid allegations over his treatment of his celebrity partner Zara McDermott.
The Strictly Professional Cast of 2024 (BBC)
Pernice has denied the allegations against him, while Di Prima said he “deeply regrets” the events that led to his death. Strictly departure.
A source said The sun: “The line-up overhaul was always about making a fresh start, and that was always going to be influenced by which dancers performed well in this series.
“The feeling is that the Strictly group consists of some fading stars, while others consist of rising stars.”
Katya Jones and Gorka Marquez are among longtime pros who could be in danger (Getty Images)
“And in many cases, there are certain characters whose shoes could easily be filled by younger, up-and-coming counterparts. It is harsh, but it is just part of the traditional turnover of show business.”
The BBC declined to comment.
Professional dancer Johannes Radebe, who joined the show in 2018, is also set to leave the series in 2025 as sources claim his schedule is too busy to return to the ballroom starring the dancer. Kinky Boots: The Musical for the first half of 2025, while he works on a film adaptation of his life story.