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- Former Strictly Come Dancing star argues 2026 shake-up was "needed" to get rid of "dead wood"
Former Strictly Come Dancing star argues 2026 shake-up was "needed" to get rid of "dead wood"
The former Strictly star also suggested the shake-up could have extended to the judging panel.
BBC/Kieron McCarron
- Molly Moss
Published: Tuesday, 16 June 2026 at 2:42 pm
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James Jordan has said the recent culling of several professional dancers from Strictly Come Dancing was "needed" to get rid of "dead wood".
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The BBC series has undergone a significant shake-up ahead of the 2026 season, with new hosts and the departures of Karen Hauer, Gorka Marquez, Nadiya Bychkova, Luba Mushtuk and Michelle Tsiakkas from the professional dancers line-up.
Speaking to the Press Association, Jordan – who appeared on the series as a professional dancer between 2006 and 2013 – said of the shake-up: "When you join Strictly, you’re taking someone’s job, OK? And people forget that because they’re on the show, but then when they’re asked to leave, and then they’re replaced, they’re only worried about that."
He continued: "But they forget at some point, they took someone’s job. It’s just showbiz, that’s what it is. Enjoy it for what it is – it is a juggernaut of a show, and it was an honour for all of us to be part of it for so many years.
"But you have to remember that it will come to an end at some point, and all this controversy around, 'oh, they’re changing so many of the pros'… it needed a shakeup. Some of the pros have been on there for 14 years… dead wood… get rid of them and bring someone younger in, in my opinion."
James Jordan. Getty Images
Jordan added that he believed the shake-up could have extended to the judging panel.
"I believed the cuts could have gone further and they could have got rid of some of the judges as well," he said.
"It’s all got nicey-nicey now, isn’t it? It’s all politically correct, and ‘you can’t say this, and you can’t say that’. You can’t be negative because (the contestants) are gonna cry. It’s a dance show. You need that baddie… but even Craig (Revel Horwood) now is kind of toned down a lot."
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Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe were confirmed as the new hosts of the show last month following Daly and Winkleman’s departures.
The returning professionals line-up for the 2026 series has also been confirmed, with Dianne Buswell, Amy Dowden, Katya Jones, Neil Jones and Nikita Kuzmin set to make a comeback to the dance floor.
Also returning are Aljaž Škorjanec, Jowita Przystał, Nancy Xu and Kai Widdrington.
They will be joined by Carlos Gu, Lauren Oakley, Vito Coppola, Alexis Warr and Julian Caillon.
There will also be a host of brand new dancers joining the professionals line-up who are set to be unveiled at a later date.
Read more:
- Strictly Come Dancing 2026 officially confirms EastEnders icon as first celebrity casting
- Love Island favourite Maura Higgins tipped to host reboot of classic British gameshow
Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC One and iPlayer later this year.
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Authors
Molly MossTrends Writer
Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.
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