The 30-year-old pro was set to join her Strictly colleagues on the stage tour, which starts at the end of April, amid reports she is being axed from the main show
Michelle Tsiakkas has dropped out of the Strictly Professionals live tour just weeks before it kicks off as she reportedly felt BBC bosses made ‘false promises’. The 30-year-old pro was set to join her Strictly colleagues on the stage tour, which starts at the end of April, amid reports she is being axed from the main show.
It was also reported recently that a raft of other professionals are set to leave the show, including long-standing pro Gorka Marquez, and fellow dancers Luba Mushtuk, Karen Hauer and Nadiya Bychkova. The official Instagram account for the tour posted: “Michelle Tsiakkas has decided not to take part in Strictly The Professionals 2026 Tour.
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“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.”
But a friend of the dancer said the real reason Michelle quit was that has “a lot to process”. The source told the Sun: “Michelle feels like she’s got a lot to process at the moment.
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“She’s made a lot of personal sacrifices for the show and was in it for the long term. I think she feels like she was promised one thing but has been given something totally different.” The Mirror has reached out to Michelle’s reps. The BBC declined to comment.
Michelle has been part of Strictly since 2022, and has become a firm favourite among fans. Reports claiming she left the show come after the competition has been hit with a number of scandals, plus the departure of long-term hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.
Sharing an uplifting post on International Women’s Day, Michelle shared a photo of herself. The caption alluded to challenges she has experienced, but it was not confirmed if it was related to Strictly.
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.
“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!”
But the Sun also reported there could be further shock changes to the show, as bosses are keen to turn over a new leaf after recent difficulties and scandals. 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.”
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