Nadiya Bychkova was recently reported to be one of the main stars of Strictly Come Dancing who had been axed from the professional line-up, and now sources claim it’s due to her behaviourDaniel Bird Assistant Celebrity and Entertainment Editor
06:51, 10 Mar 2026Updated 07:00, 10 Mar 2026
Nadiya is one of several stars believed to have been given the boot from Strictly(Image: BBC/Ray Burmiston)
Nadiya Bychkova was reportedly axed by Strictly Come Dancing due to “tantrums”. The dancer is one of several stars who are believed to have been given the boot by the BBC ahead of the next series.
The Ukrainian star, 36, Gorka Marquez, 35, Luba Mushtuk, 36 and Michelle Tsiakkas, 30, are all said to have been cut from the professional dancing line-up as part of a huge shake-up for the programme. Reports also claim that Karen Hauer and Katya Jones could be at risk of losing their jobs on the show.
But reports now claim that Nadiya’s alleged backstage behaviour played a part in the decision to drop her from the programme. It’s claimed that the dancer is known for outbursts off camera, as well as her split from Kai Widdrington, causing tension behind the scenes of the disco ball show.
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Nadiya has reportedly been axed by bosses(Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images)
Sources claim the dancer was known for having ‘tantrums'(Image: BBC/Ray Burmiston)
It’s claimed that their two-year romance didn’t go down too well with bosses on the show. But a source told the MailOnline that Nadiya is known to be “uncompromising” away from the cameras. They also claim that in 2023, she didn’t react well to not having a celebrity partner on the show.
“Strictly is a light entertainment show, but it has to be competitive – otherwise it doesn’t work,” a source told the outlet. They went on to add: “Execs want the pros to treat the series like a sport and get the best results out of their partners, without going over the top and avoiding bullying scandals which have marred the show in recent years, of course.
“But Nadiya’s last three outings with a celebrity partner (also including Matt Goss) haven’t pulled up any threes – she hasn’t even made the top 10 with any of them.” The source added that in order to keep standards high on the show, whoever replaces Nadiya will “achieve better results”.
Following the exits of hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman last year, bosses are said to want a “fresh start” for 2026, after the show has been hit by a string of scandals in recent years. In a joint statement confirming their exit, presenters Tess and Claudia said hosting the show had been an “absolute dream”.
They said: “We have loved working as a duo and hosting Strictly has been an absolute dream. We were always going to leave together and now feels like the right time. We will have the greatest rest of this amazing series and we just want to say an enormous thank you to the BBC and to every single person who works on the show.
“They’re the most brilliant team and we’ll miss them every day. We will cry when we say the last ‘keep dancing’ but we will continue to say it to each other. Just possibly in tracksuit bottoms at home while holding some pizza.”
And while the show has been hit with an agesim row, sources have indicated that this is not the case at all. Instead, bosses believe that older dancers are more appealing for the show as they have a larger fanbase.
A spokesperson for Strictly told the Mirror: “Plans for Strictly Come Dancing 2026 will be confirmed in due course.” The Mirror has approached Nadiya for comment.
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