Strictly Come Dancing ‘axes three professional dancers’ from 2026 collection
The BBC has reportedly dropped three professional dancers from Strictly Come Dancing.
The embattled celebrity dance competition is currently undergoing significant change following the departure of longtime hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, with rumours swirling as to who will replace them.
The Sun now reports that longtime professional dancers Gorka Márquez, 35, and Luba Mushtuk, 36, will not be appearing in the next season.
Newcomer Michelle Tsiakkas, 30, is also said to have departed the show.
A source told the publication: “Bosses want a fresh start and to bring in new faces after all the drama in recent years and create a new era.”
When approached for comment by The Independent, a BBC spokesperson said plans for Strictly Come Dancing 2026 would be confirmed “in due course”.
The Independent has contacted representatives for Márquez, Mushtuk and Tsiakkas for comment.
Márquez joined Strictly in 2016 and has featured in three finals. He met his partner, influencer and presenter Gemma Atkinson, on the show in 2017.
Mushtuk first appeared on Strictly eight years ago but has not been partnered with a celebrity on the contest in recent years.
Tsiakkas, meanwhile, joined in 2022 along with Vito Coppola, Carlos Gu and Lauren Oakley. She teamed up with actor Jamie Borthwick, her first celebrity partner, in 2024; they were eliminated in week 10.
As the search for a new host, or hosts, continues, Amanda Holden recently denied rumours that she might be in the running, while also calling other prospects “boring”.
Holden told MailOnline: “You see, I am already part of a big show, and I’ll happily carry on watching Strictly from the comfort of my lounge.”
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Addressing the show’s weekend broadcasts, she added: “I’ve got to remember that I have children and a husband.” Holden has been married to Chris Hughes since 2008, and the couple have two daughters: Lexi, 19, and Hollie, 13.
While male presenters Bradley Walsh, Rylan and Roman Kemp are reportedly in the running, Holden is adamant that the BBC should hire two women to replace Daly and Winkleman – and urged the corporation to “think outside the box”.
