Michelle Tsiakkas and fellow pros face mass reshuffle on Strictly Come Dancing

michelle tsiakkas is listed among a group of professional dancers who have been told their contracts will not be renewed for 2026, leaving a tight-knit troupe suddenly unsettled. The reported exits form part of what colleagues and former performers describe as one of the biggest behind-the-scenes overhauls the programme has seen, a change that also coincides with a presenter shake-up.

Michelle Tsiakkas named among five pros not renewed for 2026

Michelle Tsiakkas appears on lists alongside Luba Mushtuk, Gorka Márquez and Nadiya Bychkova as professionals said to have been told their contracts will not be renewed for 2026, with Karen Hauer also reportedly affected. Karen Hauer is described in coverage as the longest-serving female professional on the series, and her inclusion underscores how extensive the cast changes are.

For michelle tsiakkas specifically, the announcement places an immediate question mark over her role in the next series. Sources cited in press coverage say five professionals were axed, a number that has amplified concern among the remaining troupe about the annual contract model that governs the professionals’ employment.

Kristina Rihanoff urges a one-year rest as cast is rebuilt

Kristina Rihanoff, a former professional on the programme, has urged producers to pause the show for a year to regroup. She said, “If I were a producer, I would give it a rest for a year, regroup and think about what we can do differently. ” Rihanoff argued the series could return to its ballroom and Latin roots with fewer props and more live group dances.

Rihanoff reflected on her own time on the programme, which began in 2008, and described the yearly contract cycle as a cause of tension. She said waiting to hear whether a contract will be renewed every 12 months is a “horrendous” experience, a detail that helps explain why the reported cull among the professionals has prompted public comment from former cast members.

Karen Hauer, presenter departures and a wider troupe disruption

Karen Hauer’s reported removal from the professional line-up has been highlighted repeatedly in recent coverage, with her tenure described as more than a decade on the show. The reported exits come after the shock departures of long-standing presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, and producers are said to be preparing two new hosts to join the programme this year.

Coverage of the shake-up has noted an atmosphere of uncertainty among the remaining professionals, who are said to be meeting about contracts in the weeks leading up to the next series. Insiders quoted in the press have described decisions as part of an effort to bring in new faces and create a refreshed era for the programme.

Still, former pros and industry observers have argued for a different approach to change. Rihanoff’s call to simplify the format and allow professionals to focus on authentic ballroom and Latin technique is one such voice in the debate over how the troupe and the show itself should evolve.

For michelle tsiakkas, the immediate landscape is clear in one respect: her name has been included among those reported not to have a renewed contract for 2026. The next confirmed development from the coverage is that two new hosts will join the programme this year, a change that will accompany the reshaped professional roster as the show plans its return.