'There's so much shock and anger': Sacked Strictly dancers thought they would be spared after tragedy linked to show, KATIE HIND reveals - this is the brutal reason why they were REALLY fired

As the glitterball dropped on the last series of Strictly in December, the professional dancers marked the moment with flamboyant hugs and air kisses.

But those watching closely could see that some of those embraces were tighter than normal. And, among some dancers, tears were being shed.

The reason for such high emotion? The dancers had already been warned by BBC bosses that there was to be a cull before the next series.

It meant this might be the last time some of them would ever dance together, despite years spent side by side in the spray-tanned trenches.

In the event, the show’s chiefs were as good as their word. Last week it was reported that five pros – Karen Hauer, Nadiya Bychkova, Luba Mushtuk, Michelle Tsiakkas and Gorka Marquez – were told they were surplus to requirements. It appeared nothing short of a bloodbath, the most brutal sackings Strictly has witnessed in its 22-year history.

The truth, however, is more complex than the headlines indicated. Sources on the show have confirmed to me that there is a sense of devastated fury among those who have been let go.

Despite last week’s reports, I’m told that Gorka cannot be counted among the ranks of the fired. The Spaniard, whose partner is former actress Gemma Atkinson, walked away of his own volition.

Perhaps most crucially, some of the dancers had come to believe that the axe would be spared – at least temporarily – given the death of Robin Windsor, a former Strictly dancer.

Last month, an inquest into his death made public the 44-year-old’s suicide note. ‘This all really started when I lost my job on Strictly [in 2015],’ he wrote, ‘and have been fighting it ever since. The way they treated me destroyed me...

‘It started me on the road I’m still on. All I wanted from life was to be happy. I loved my job more than anyone else.’

Windsor, who appeared on Strictly for four series between 2010 and 2014, also wrote that the ‘heartache, the loneliness, the constant sadness’ had become ‘too much’.

The inquest heard how he had struggled with money and relationship problems and had mental health issues.

My source reveals: ‘The BBC made it clear last year there was going to be a huge change to the professional line-up at around the time Tess and Claudia announced they were leaving. It said five or six dancers would go. Of course, the pros were terrified.

‘Then, when they learned that Robin’s suicide note would be made public, they didn’t think the BBC would go through with its plans. Today, broadcasters have to pay more attention to their duty of care to performers, meaning they have to be more careful of how they treat their talent.

‘The dancers were stunned when the BBC stuck to its guns and fired them anyway. It’s hard to overemphasise how much shock and anger there has been.’

It’s perhaps even more surprising as the BBC – normally the cradle of woke values – has sacked only female dancers, as Gorka walked rather than being pushed. Little wonder, then, that insiders are talking about outright misogyny.

Others have speculated that Nadiya may have been let go because of her friendship with her former partner, married TV presenter Dan Walker, which has been described as ‘cringey’.

Meanwhile, friends of Karen’s – the longest serving pro – have lambasted bosses for sacking her just weeks from her 44th birthday, while they allowed Anton Du Beke to dance into his 50s before hiring him as a judge in 2022.

While there is some element of truth to these accusations, the perceived misogyny hasn’t come from bosses but, rather, the viewers. I have been told the BBC carried out ‘meticulous’ research to see which professionals were popular, before deciding who would fall victim to the shake-up.

‘It was basically a popularity contest,’ says my source. ‘The decisions were made from audience research.

‘Those who have had the bullet simply were not liked by the fans.

‘It’s harsh, but it’s true. Most watching at home are female. Women tend not to like the female pros, but they love the men.’

My source continues: ‘It’s hardly a surprise that Luba and Michelle have gone. They are the least high profile. Viewers, meanwhile, found Nadiya unlikeable.

‘It’s nothing to do with ageism, or indeed her friendship with Dan, but simply because the public hasn’t warmed to her.

‘As for Karen, that was more of a surprise. She is a grafter and has been loyal to Strictly but the viewers have grown tired of her. It’s a terrible shame.’

As for Gorka, show insiders confirm to me that he quit following his stint as a judge on the Spanish version of Strictly last year.

Producers were further emboldened to act because two professional recruits who made their debut last year, Julian Caillon and Alexis Warr, became stand-out stars. Both made the final, Julian with EastEnders’ Balvinder Sopal, and Alexis with influencer George Clarke.

‘This has given the bosses the idea that there are loads of talented pro dancers out there that they can take their pick from,’ says a show source.

So what will Strictly look like when it returns for its 23rd series in September?

But I can confirm that the judging panel of Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke will remain intact. Sources say they signed a three-year contract two years ago so have one more series to run.

‘The judging line up isn’t changing so there will be this element of continuity – though if you look at social media some judges aren’t exactly loved by the viewers,’ says the source, referring to Ballas, who seems to bear the brunt of fans’ anger when she sends home a well-liked contestant. ‘Maybe it will change next year.’

As for who will fill Tess and Claudia’s shoes, things aren’t quite so straightforward. While it was assumed by many at the BBC that their replacements would be stars of equivalent stature, so far there is little evidence of that.

Some suggest the new hosts will be ‘BBC B-listers’ – homegrown talent who are recognisable but not the calibre of household names such as Bradley Walsh or Holly Willoughby. BBC controller Kate Phillips is said to be keen to sign One Show presenter Alex Jones or ex-Radio 2 host Zoe Ball.

However, there’s now speculation they may not be so keen on the job, as TV presenter and former contestant Angela Scanlon has been called in for meetings.

Love Island host Maya Jama was also mooted to me last week and I’m told Rylan Clark, former host of Strictly’s spin-off show It Takes Two, would jump at the chance if offered.

‘There was a time when the view was that anyone Strictly wanted, they would get,’ says a show insider. ‘But we don’t seem to be seeing signs of that right now.’