Strictly Come Dancing’s seasoned professionals are said to be at risk of being replaced by younger talent.
Following a string of scandals, sources are now claiming that bosses are planning to bring in a new generation of young dancers, with up to five veteran names at risk of being dropped.
Among those at risk are thought to be Nadiya Bychkova, 35, Neil Jones, 42, Karen Hauer, 42, Gorka Marquez, 34, and Katya Jones, 35.
Sources claimed the quintet have been dubbed the ‘fading stars’ of the lineup, with show bosses on the hunt for ‘younger, up-and-coming counterparts.’
While the BBC have declined to comment on the speculation, it is not the first time the show has been accused of ageism.
As seasoned pros including Nadiya Bychkova, 35, ‘risk being replaced by younger dancers’ on Strictly how the show has been marred with ageism scandals over the years
Most famously, Dame Arlene Phillips found herself dubbed ‘the face of anti-ageism’ when she was axed from the show in 2009 and replaced by younger Alesha Dixon
Most famously, Dame Arlene Phillips found herself dubbed ‘the face of anti-ageism’ when she was axed from the show in 2009.
Dame Arlene was booted off when she was 66, and replaced by the much younger and less experienced Alesha Dixon (then aged 30).
It caused such a scandal that even Harriet Harman, then Minister for Women and Equality, got involved.
In an extraordinary Government intervention, Labour’s Deputy Leader described the BBC’s decision to replace Dame Arlene as ‘absolutely shocking’ and called for her to be reinstated.
Speaking in the House Of Commons, she shared: ‘As Equalities Minister, I am suspicious that there is age discrimination there. So I’d like to take the opportunity of asking the BBC: it is not too late, we want Arlene Phillips in the next edition of Strictly Come Dancing.’
Last month, Dame Arlene, now 81, reignited the ageism row as she discussed the older contestants on the show.
She told Express Online at the Women of the Year Awards: ‘I don’t particularly like the way older women are perceived [on the show].
‘I don’t like that there is a certain, there are some people who are phenomenal as they age and it’s not that they should have danced before, but the one thing I don’t like about Strictly is many of the older women who take part are really serious about it, as they should be, but they also take it to heart and that breaks them as women.’
Strictly found itself embroiled in another ageism row when popular dancer Karen Hardy was dropped from the lineup (pictured with Mark Ramprakash)
She was not the only dancer to be replaced. Camilla Dallerup, then 35 and the reigning Strictly champion was also also axed (pictured with Tom Chambers)
In 2022, fans accused Shirley Ballas, 64, of overmarking young male contestants, with Shirley revealing she considered quitting the show because the trolling got so bad
Six weeks after Dame Arlene was axed from the show, Strictly found itself embroiled in another ageism row when popular dancer Karen Hardy was dropped from the lineup.
She was given the boot from the dancefloor at the age of 39 to make way for younger professionals in their 20s.
At the time, Karen was the oldest female dancer on the show and had been tipped by fans to take over Dame Arlene on the judging panel.
She was not the only dancer to be replaced. Camilla Dallerup, then 35 and the reigning Strictly champion was also also axed.
Lithuanian Katya Virshilas, then 25, and Australian Natalie Lowe, then 28, were brought in as their replacements.
Addressing ageism accusations at the time, a Strictly spokesperson said they were always looking for ways to make Strictly Come Dancing ‘fresh and relevant’ but said suggestions that BBC decisions are based on age were ‘totally out of the question’.
‘If our decisions were affected by age there’s no way we could have someone like Bruce Forsyth or Len Goodman on the show,’ they said.
‘Age does not influence who we have on the show and we have numerous presenters of all ages across the BBC.’
Current head judge Shirley Ballas has also been accused of ageism.
In 2022, fans accused Shirley, 64, of overmarking young male contestants, with Shirley revealing she considered quitting the show because the trolling got so bad.
She told The Mirror: ‘I felt the abuse snowballed out of control and impacted me in such a negative way. I’m a pretty stoic person, and I tend to hold everything in.’
When asked if she’d considered quitting Strictly, she replied: ‘It was a difficult series, I’ll leave it at that… Will I go back to Strictly? I always take one step at a time.’
Some of Strictly Come Dancing’s biggest professionals, including Nadiya, are now reportedly at risk of being axed by bosses in a huge shake-up (pictured with Tom Dean)
Among those at risk are thought to be Nadiya Bychkova, Neil Jones (pictured), Karen Hauer , Gorka Marquez and Katya Jones, four of which have already been eliminated
As it stands, the oldest professional dancers on the show, are Neil and Karen, both 42.
A source told The Sun of the shakeup: ‘The review of the line-up has always been about making a fresh start, and that was always going to be affected by which dancers performed well this series.
‘The feeling is that the Strictly troupe is made up of some fading stars, while others are rising stars.
‘And in many cases there are certain characters whose shoes can easily be filled with younger, up-and-coming counterparts. It’s harsh but it’s just part of the traditional turnover of showbusiness.’
A representative for Strictly Come Dancing declined to comment.
MailOnline has contacted representatives for Nadiya Bychkova, Neil Jones, Karen Hauer, Gorka Marquez and Katya Jones for comment.
It was previously reported back in July that some of Strictly’s biggest professional names were at risk of being axed, as bosses planned to bring in some fresh young names.
A source told The Sun: ‘There’s the fear that being on the show leaves them more open to feeling entitled and untouchable.
‘It’s not a done deal, and it’s not just going to be a case of the oldest or longest-serving being shown the door. It would be a carefully considered process, with other factors taken into account too.
They added: ‘The fact that the BBC are even considering making big changes and bringing in fresh blood is a sign of how keen they are to move on and make every effort to ensure nothing like this happens again’.
Following a year that has seen Strictly hit by a string of scandals, sources are now claiming that bosses are planning to bring in a new generation of young dancers (Karen Hauer pictured)
Currently, only Katya is still competing on this year’s Strictly, but she was previously embroiled in a ‘groping’ scandal with her celebrity partner Wynne Evans
Strictly’s milestone 20th year has been marred by scandal – after actress Amanda Abbington unexpectedly quit the show last October before claiming her partner Giovanni Pernice was abusive towards her. He was later cleared of ten of her 16 allegations.
The show was then hit with a fresh wave of scandal when Graziano Di Prima was sacked in July for ‘kicking’ his partner, Love Island star Zara McDermott.
Elsewhere, it’s also been reported that fellow pro Johannes Radebe is poised to leave Strictly at the end of the series.
The South African dancer, who has become a fan-favourite since he joined the show in 2018, has landed two huge projects in 2025, with sources now claiming his schedule is too jam-packed for a return to the ballroom.
Johannes is set to star in Kinky Boots: The Musical for the first seven months of the year, and is also working on a movie adaptation of his life story.
The dancer is currently paired with Gladiators star Montell Douglas, and the pair have been tipped to reach the final.
Elsewhere, it’s also been reported that fellow pro Johannes Radebe is poised to leave Strictly at the end of the series (pictured with Montell Douglas)
A source told The Sun: ‘Johannes is hugely loved on the show and there isn’t an atom of bad feeling about him leaving.
‘Of course, bosses will probably try to find a way to bring him back at some point and he would no doubt consider returning.
‘But for now, he just has too much to juggle alongside the contest. It isn’t just the announced projects that he’s working on, there are other opportunities in the pipeline too, which he can now explore further.’
A representative for Strictly Come Dancing declined to comment when contacted by MailOnline. A representative for Johannes Radebe has been contacted for comment.
From January to July, Johannes is set to star in a leading role in the touring production of Kinky Boots The Musical, which is written by pop legend Cyndi Lauper.
He’s set to perform over 200 shows in 25 different cities across the UK and Ireland, in cities randing from Dublin to Plymouth and Brighton to Edinburgh.