Strictly 2025 : Post Series Debrief And Christmas Special

[EineReiseDurchDieZeit]

In case anyone wants to keep chatting

I wonder how the producers gauged the popularity? Even if they have a formal focus group, I could imagine that MN is trawled as well.

Someone on another thread said that Luba doesn’t use social media as much as the other pros, which may have contributed to her being below the radar.

I am very interested to know who’s going to present. I’m hoping that Zoe will be one of them.

I am not that surprised by the cull. We have been meh on here about some of those names for years.
Karen, to say she was the longest standing female pro, doesn't have as many memorable routines as Katya.
Loved Karen's couples choice with Chucky Venn, her samba with Jamie Laing, her salsa with Will Young and her foxtrot with Mark Wright.
Those four I have rewatched many times, but two of them she did not choreo.
Nadiya I have only rewatched her American smooth with Davood. Luba I cannot think of a routine of hers I've loved. No idea if Nadiya was ever a diva or not, but there were cryptic comments about Kai and production.
Michelle was also allegedly put out at being benched (but so was Nancy but supposedly she'll be benched again. I agree, Neil just wants regular work). If Michelle is let go because of Jamie, Katya would have gone too because of Wynne. I imagine it is as simple as how many followers they have/a deep dive of televotes was done.

I will watch whatever they do but still think Cameron and Chloe are the only ex pros who ought to be really put out.
Will be interesting if they poach any DWTS Ireland ex pros and how many newbies come from other variants of the show or Bum the Floor.

Who are Cameron and Chloe?

They were pros who never got a partner.

Chloe Hewitt was a pro in the same year as AJ was following their exposure on Britain's Got Talent. She is still very much involved in the ballroom and Latin circuit as a coach, judge, teacher where she works with the Pritchards.

Cameron Lombard was a newbie in the same year as Nikita, but left after that season.

I have no idea either.

Perhaps when deciding who to retain they considered:

1. who has the potential to win if put with a talented celeb ie who has the choreo skills and ability to draw the best out of their partner and
2. who are fan favourites due to personality, social media fanbase etc and
3. ease of working with them on set, during recordings of the pro numbers etc and finally
4. whose USP overlapped with one of the new pros who they want to bring onto the show.

Perhaps the pros culled will be more understandable when we see who has been brought in as replacements…. eg perhaps there is a glamorous blonde who is shorter than Nadiyaa so easier to pair with male celebs and without the onset issues her being an ex of Kai’s might bring.

Interestingly all the ones culled are female. Perhaps it’s easier to recruit female celebs so they are going to increase the number of male pros? Eg lose 4 females and then hire two new males and two new females.

Perhaps it’s easier to recruit female celebs so they are going to increase the number of male pros?

I doubt it. Didn't we have 6 female celebs to 9 male last season?
Edit: and the previous year!

If indeed the current cull list is true, then I hope they're replaced to balance the sexes.

More likely that females on TV age out earlier than males.

Someone posted this on Reddit. You might not agree with the tierings but it’s a good way to see all the pros. With Dianne on maternity (and perhaps producers already have an inkling if she would want to return and have a long run next year) and if Amy is possibly still on medical leave this year (or has even decided to leave) there are potentially only 5 returning females this year and 8 males.

I hadn’t realised it was so male heavy unless there are more non returners to be announced. So I imagine the new names will be predominantly female too.

Red = Leaver
Blue = Not dancing this year

Completely disagree with those ‘tiers’. Karen was A tier (she always had a partner) whereas Nadiya was C tier (often benched, when she did have a partner he was eliminated in the first few weeks.

Amy always gets a partner so would be in B tier. Michelle only had a partner once so she would be C.

Nikita would be A tier whereas Carlos and Johannes could be B tier. Based on partnerships and being benched etc.

Nancy and Neil should have a blue cross or ? if being benched again.

Tiers are wrong, I agree.

Carlos would only make A tier after success with Karen. He was benched the year before and choreo not rated. Karen has given him a bounce back. And his relationship with Amy.
Nikita, however, is A tier because of his success with all partners and his solo tour sales. Unlike poor Neil, whereby iirc Gingerland was cancelled.
Aljaz was also rumoured to be going.

But if they get rid of all known pros, as well as new hosts, it is a lot for fans to digest.

Has it actually been confirmed that Diane isn’t dancing this year? She’s due any day now so she could easily be dancing in 5-6 months time. She was dancing while pregnant afterall.

How is a pro meant to establish popularity when they are consistently benched or partnered with celebs who are neither good dancers nor entertaining duffers? (Not that - Gorka aside - I am going to miss any of the departing pros too much).

As for Dianne, even if she is match-fit, Strictly is so full-on (rehearsals, ITT, costume fittings, pro dances, studio rehearsals, all day Saturday for the live shows, filming VTs, spending your Sundays working out the choreography for the next week, the endless round of promotion and interviews); will she want to risk hardly being home for potentially five months?

Thinking about Dianne, I guess that's why the rumours about Aljaz make sense to me. They have a young kid, and Jeanette is now working as a presenter. I'm guessing that she's better paid, and with both of them no longer young, if one of them has to stay back to make sure that the kid is okay then it sounds reasonable that Aljaz leaves Strictly for work with a more manageable schedule.

I cannot understand how Nancy is still going.

Julian is an absolute dream, both in looks and personality wise, he is the least likely person ever to get caught up in scandals I think. He seems really nurturing.

Didn't particularly like the new American woman though, I remember her dancing around her partner too much.

Cant we have some of the old team back? 🤣 Karen Hardy was amazing.

Excited to see who the new hosts will be. Wonder when we find out? Doubt they will hide it until the first night, but that would be exciting!

Sad that so many female pros are leaving. What does Tier A, B and C mean?

P.S@ComeOnPhilEarlySpringPlease Bum the floor! 🤣

When do the new hosts actually start work? I presume it’s not as early as the dance pro’s but it’ll be well before the first episode I would have thought?

Bum the floor 😁 is courtesy of the much missed and never bettered blogger Monkseal. See him (Chris) occasionally on Digital Spy but it was the end of an era for me and when he finally hung up his blogging boots.

Karen Hardy is now 55 and has been gone a long time.

Yeah I know. Hence the laughing emoji!

Me too Peerless.

I still miss her though. And Ian, and Erin, and Lilya.

Another wonderful thing destroyed ultimately by Covid 😢

That was the golden era of Strictly for me.