Strictly Come Dancing is set to have a major shakeup as five professional dancers are reportedly being axed ahead of the new series later this year, including longest standing female professional dancer Karen Hauer.
Karen, who started as a pro on the BBC series all the way back in 2012, is reportedly the latest professional dancer to be cut from the series, with a source telling the Daily Mail Karen found out the news last week.
The source claimed: "Karen is the latest professional dancer to be told her contract will not be renewed this year.
"It's very much a case of out with the old and in with the new. As the longest-serving female dancer, Karen found out last week that her time on Strictly is over."
So far Karen has not commented on these claims, but another source claimed she was "very upset" over the news, and is looking to continue her work in the fitness industry.
However, Karen isn't the only beloved Strictly professional dancer set to be leaving the series, with many other pros reportedly being "axed" from the series as part of a major shakeup for the series, which follows hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman's departure from the show at the end of last season.
In a statement to Cosmopolitan UK, a spokesperson for the BBC said: "Plans for Strictly Come Dancing 2026 will be confirmed in due course."
Here are all the other pros rumoured to be leaving.
The professional dancers set to be 'axed' from Strictly
Nadiya Bychkova
Nadiya, 36, who has been on the show since 2017 is reportedly set to be leaving the show and is said to be "distraught" at hearing the news of her axing.
A source told The Sun: "The news came as such a huge shock as Nadiya’s life was Strictly and to find out she’s not been invited back as full time pro has really broken her heart. No one was expecting producers to chop so many professionals."
Nadiya's most recent celebrity partner on the show was ex-rugby player Chris Robshaw and the pair were the second to be eliminated from teh show.
Gorka Marquez
Fan favourite male professional dancer Gorka Marquez is also reportedly not set to be returning.
Gorka has been on the show since 2016, but didn't compete with a partner on last year's series due to other commitments which included being a judge on the Spanish version of Strictly Come Dancing.
Luba Mushtuk
Luba, 36, who has been on the show since 2018, is also set to be leaving Strictly ahead of the new series this autumn. She did not have a celebrity partner for the most recent series.
Michelle Tsiakkas
Michelle, 30, only joined the show back in 2022 and since then has only had one celebrity partner which was Jamie Borthwick. The pair came seventh in the contest, and since then Michelle has not gone onto have a celebrity partner.
Cosmopolitan UK has reached out to the professional dancers' representatives for comment
