Strictly Come Dancing is present process a mass cull of it is professional dancers.
Strictly Come Dancing are shaking up the present’s professional dancers (Picture: BBC)
As a showbiz journalist, Strictly Come Dancing is a type of exhibits that dominates my work life. However even I could not have predicted the mass cull of the professional dancers, which is going down in the mean time. Having interviewed and/or met most of them through the years, I really feel fairly invested on this. I’ve beforehand written about the truth that I believe it’s a large mistake to shake up the dancers whereas additionally anticipating the general public to regulate to new presenters following Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman’s departure. I additionally marvel on the BBC’s thought course of with these axings, and I’ve my very own opinions on who ought to keep and go primarily based on each their expertise and what I’ve discovered them to be like.
On the time of writing, it has been reported that Nadiya Bychkova, Luba Mushtuk, Gorka Marquez, Michelle Tsiakkas and Karen Hauer have all been axed from this yr’s lineup. In the meantime, it’s also claimed that Neil Jones and Nancy Xu will sit on the sidelines for a lot of the collection, as they won’t have celeb companions. Being sincere, Luba and Michelle’s axe did not shock me. Going by fan response, they’ve by no means actually made a large impression and have been inconsistently paired with celebrities, so we by no means actually received an opportunity to know them.
SACKED
I additionally wasn’t massively shocked they axed Gorka for the straightforward motive he was unavailable for many of final season as a consequence of his commitments to judging the Spanish model of the present. Though the BBC have not mentioned this, I believe any employer can be irritated in case you prioritised one other gig over what’s ostensibly your day job. I do suppose it might need been a bit hasty, nonetheless. When I’ve interviewed him previously, he has spoken about how he has expertise educating folks in wheelchairs to bop as it’s “very huge in Spain” and he was eager for the present to characteristic a contestant in a wheelchair. He’s genuinely keen about making dance inclusive, which is a good high quality in a professional dancer.
Karen Hauer can also be an enormous loss to the present after 13 years. Though she has by no means received the glitterball, she did attain the finals with Mark Wright in 2014. She brings consistency and reliability and is somebody who has all the time proven her loyalty to the BBC and by no means tried to make out she is a much bigger star than the present. In each interview, she makes certain to wax lyrical about it. I’d have positively saved her and maybe segued her right into a judging or presenting position down the road.
In the meantime, Nadiya Bychkova was reportedly dropped as a consequence of “tantrums” with studies suggesting her alleged conduct backstage contributed to the choice to take away her from the programme. I did not expertise a tantrum as I’ve solely interviewed her as soon as, but it surely was very apparent she was “confident”. She was greater than a bit of pushy, leaping in on questions that weren’t for her and never permitting her associate to get a phrase in edgeways. However actually, I received the impression she was a diva relatively than the temperamental image being painted of her in the mean time. However I can see how that would not sit nicely with bosses.
Katya Jones appears to have escaped the cull up to now, and I’m shocked she has lasted this lengthy. She has been branded a diva previously, and I’ve witnessed her having a few “moments” through the years. She tends to attempt to take over and is superb at self-promotion. Not that this can be a dangerous factor essentially – it’s a must to be a bit of pushy within the showbiz world. However when you’re arriving at an awards ceremony half-hour forward of your Strictly associate so you possibly can have a bit of solo pink carpet second, which I witnessed in 2023, or rearrange a room for the “finest mild”, consuming into interview time, it does make it appear extra about you than the present. Sure, she is massively gifted, however Strictly is an ensemble.
Dropping Johannes Radebe would even be silly. He’s so likeable his star has risen massively outdoors the present however he has by no means been pushy about it and merely embraced alternatives which have come his manner. It’s a testomony to him that he has remained with the present via his present success, together with his star has risen massively outdoors the present, and he has had an acclaimed run in Kinky Boots within the West Finish, and the BBC is fortunate to have that kind of loyalty.
One other star who’s quickly changing into massively fashionable outdoors the present is Nikita Kuizmin. He has the broad attraction that works from youngsters to grandmothers. He’s additionally a stunning man. Once I interviewed him along with his celeb associate Amber Davies final yr, he was massively protecting and defensive of her following backlash about her West Finish expertise. Everybody wants a Nikitia of their nook. Suffice to say, my thoughts is considerably boggled on the BBC’s thought course of with the present cuts.
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