Strictly favourite quits live tour after being ‘axed’ from series

One of Strictly’s dancers has pulled out of the upcoming professional dancers tour days after rumours they have been axed from the main series. Michelle Tsiakkas , 30, was due to join her fellow professionals on the upcoming stage show celebrating their work on the BBC competition series, but will no longer appear in the theatre show, which is due to kick off in April.

It comes just days after it was reported that Michelle, along with long-standing pro Gorka Marquez, who famously got engaged to former Hollyoaks star Gemma Atkinson after they met on the show, has been axed, along with fellow dancer Luba Mushtuk, Karen Hauer and Nadiya Bychkova.

The official Instagram post for the tour posted: “Michelle Tsiakkas has decided not to take part in Strictly The Professionals 2026 Tour. We are naturally disappointed but respect her decision and wish her every success for the future. We look forward to starting the tour rehearsals early next month with Julian, Vito, Neil, Gorka, Lauren, Jowita, Luba, Alexis, Kai and Nancy.”

It comes just days after Michelle, who previously danced with former EastEnders star Jamie Borthwick on the programme, took to Instagram to share a telling message.

Posting on International Women’s Day, the dancer uploaded a sweet snap of herself. And she commented alongside it to say she had gone through challenging times, but “never lost her sparkle”.

She later said she is looking to find “light again, even after the storm”. It’s not known if the post was regarding her apparent dropping.

She wrote: “From the little girl with sparkle in her eyes, full of hope and innocent dreams… to the woman who has seen more of life than she ever imagined.

Ensure our latest headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as your Preferred Source in your Google search settings.

“There were moments that shaped her, challenged her and quietly changed her. But somehow, through it all, she never lost her sparkle. Because strength isn’t about never breaking… it’s about finding the light again, even after the storm.

“To every woman who is still standing, still growing, still shining in her own way – may you never forget the little girl inside you who first believed you could do anything Happy International Women’s Day.”

Her post was met with huge appreciation from her followers, including fellow Strictly stars. Among those showing the post love was Dianne Buswell, Amy Dowden and Vito Coppola.

While there was a lot of appreciation on the post, others used the space to ask whether the rumours of her Strictly exit were true. One user pleaded: “I really hope its untrue, and you’re not dropped from scd. A few could be dropped, not you!”

Michelle has been part of the Strictly family since 2022. New reports claim that she is exiting the show, as is favourite and long-standing pro Gorka Marquez, 35. Fellow dancer Luba Mushtuk, 36, is also said to have left .

The changes come as bosses seek to overhaul the long-running series following a decidedly turbulent period for the ballroom competition and the departure of hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.

According to insiders, there could be even more changes before the 2026 season. Speaking to The Sun, a source said that all of the current crop of dancers will be having meetings to discuss their futures on the show in the coming weeks.

The source said bosses are keen to shake things up. They said: “Bosses want a fresh start and to bring in new faces after all the drama in recent years and create a new era.”

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

This is a breaking Showbiz news story. You’ll be more likely to see our stories when any big news breaks in future on Google by simply by clicking this link.

You can also join The Mirror’s WhatsApp Community or follow us on Google News, Flipboard, Apple News, TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads – or visit The Mirror homepage.

You can sign up for
Twitter/X alerts for breaking news here and follow us @MirrorCeleb for all the latest updates. Or keep up-to-date with your must-see news, features, videos and pictures by following us on Facebook.

Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: mirror.co.uk