![\"Strictly](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/SEI_117936748-a497.jpg\")
\n\t\tThe BBC dance show has culled several dancers, with Luba Mushtuk the latest to confirm her exit (Credits: BBC)<\/p>\n
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\n\t\tThe BBC dance show has culled several dancers, with Luba Mushtuk the latest to confirm her exit (Credits: BBC)<\/p>\n
Strictly Come Dancing<\/a> professional dancer Luba Mushtuk<\/a> has confirmed she is leaving the BBC<\/a> One dance show.<\/p>\n The dancer has shared a statement on her Instagram<\/a> after frenzied speculation that there had been a so-called mass cull of several pros on the ballroom show<\/a>. <\/p>\n In a simple black and white post, the 36-year-old wrote: \u2018With a heart full of gratitude, the time has come for me to step away from Strictly Come Dancing.<\/p>\n \u2018I am deeply grateful for the past 10 years on this beautiful show!<\/p>\n \u2018Thank you for the amazing opportunity and the unforgettable memories.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tGet personalised updates on Strictly\t\t\t<\/p>\n Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro\u2019s TV Newsletter.<\/p>\n Sign up to our newsletter<\/a> and then select your show in the link we\u2019ll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you.<\/p>\n \u2018It has truly meant the world to me. Now it\u2019s time for me to follow my dreams beyond the show, and I\u2019m excited for what the future holds.<\/p>\n \t\t \u2018I can\u2019t wait to see you all on the Pro Tour and I\u2019m really looking forward to it for one last time,\u2019 the Russian-British dancer concluded, signing off with love to her followers. <\/p>\n \t\t\t\tWhich Strictly stars have confirmed they’re leaving?\t\t\t<\/p>\n Karen Hauer The BBC has confirmed the news in its own statement, saying \u2018heartfelt thank you\u2019 to the star, who first joined the show as an assistant choreographer in 2016. She was then added to the professional dancer line-up two years later.<\/p>\n The Strictly statement read: \u2018Luba has been a valued member of the team \u2014 bringing professionalism, creativity, and her quality expertise year after year.<\/p>\n \u2018Respected both on and off the dance floor, she has consistently delivered unforgettable routines, captivating audiences with her remarkable talent and signature elegance.<\/p>\n \t\t \t\t\t\tIs it mistake to axe longtime, beloved Strictly pros?\t\t\t<\/p>\n Metro columnist Adam Miller weighs in\u2026<\/p>\n A source told The Sun: \u2018Strictly is always looking for ways to grow its audience \u2013 not just in size, but in attracting younger viewers. Social media is a massive part of that, and TikTok is the perfect platform for a show built on music and dance. They won\u2019t lose someone purely for lacking a following, but it might be the thing that saves them.\u2019<\/p>\n And that\u2019s the problem.<\/p>\n Prioritising social media popularity above all else is an unsettling move which won\u2019t have the earth-shattering benefits to make it worthwhile.\u00a0<\/p>\n Strictly does need younger viewers \u2013 but every dancer leaving the show already had the potential to help bring them in.<\/p>\n Perhaps they were given an ultimatum: work harder on TikTok or risk the chop. I can\u2019t believe for a second that any of them wouldn\u2019t have embraced the challenge if it benefited them or the show.<\/p>\n Read his full opinion piece here<\/a>\u2026 <\/p>\n \u2018We are incredibly grateful for her dedication to the programme and for always going above and beyond \u2014 whether through the care and commitment she showed her celebrity partners or her warmth and kindness behind the scenes.<\/p>\n \u2018Luba has been, and always will be, a much-loved member of the Strictly family, and we wish her every success in the future.\u2019<\/p>\n Mushtuk\u2019s statement comes just days after Nadiya Bychkova shared her own Instagram post, confirming her Strictly journey is \u2018evolving\u2019 and she will no longer be a pro dancer on the ballroom floor. <\/p>\n It has since been reported that she is in talks to join the backstage choreography team<\/a> instead.<\/p>\n Michelle Tsiakkas and Karen Hauer have both confirmed their own exits from the show, following what has been reported as a huge overhaul of who this year\u2019s celebrity contestants will be paired up with.<\/p>\n Strictly Come Dancing returns to the BBC this autumn.<\/p>\n Arrow Arrow Arrow![\"Strictly](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/SEI_222467670-6c17.jpg\")
\n\t\tLuba Mushtuk said she is \u2018deeply grateful\u2019 for her decade on the show (Picture: BBC\/Ray Burmiston)<\/p>\n
\nLuba Mushtuk
\nNadiya Bychkova<\/p>\n![\"Mandatory](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/SEI_291124247-e559.jpg\")
\n\t\tMushtuk is the latest pro to confirm her exit, after Michelle Tsiakkas and Karen Hauer did the same (Picture: David Fisher\/Shutterstock)<\/p>\n
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