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Jeremy Vine revealed that he was ‘gutted’ when he found out his former Strictly Come Dancing partner Karen Hauer was axed from the show.
The television presenter, 60, who starred on the competition in both 2015 and again in 2017, said the BBC are ‘missing out’ after their major professional dancer shake up.
A number of professionals have been dropped from the line-up, with Michelle Tsiakkas, Nadiya Bychkova, Luba Mushtuk and Gorka Marquez also confirming they have been cut.
Before her shock sacking, Karen was Strictly’s longest-serving female dancer ever, with Jeremy saying: ‘She’s so loyal to that show.’
Back in 2015, they were voted out during in week 8, finishing in 9th place, and later returned for the 2017 Christmas special.
He added: ‘I’m really gutted for her. I love her to bits and she’s so professional that if she’s cross about it she hasn’t even shown it to me.’
Jeremy continued in an interview with The Telegraph: ‘I really think they are missing out because she was the longest-standing female pro. I’d love to see them think again on Karen.’
Sources claimed that Strictly bosses judge some pros’ following on TikTok when decided which stars would be axed in the show’s mass cull.
They said that bosses have chosen to keep pros with a bigger online following in a desperate bid to draw in younger viewers.
Now it’s been claimed those with bigger online followings have been chosen over dancers who are not so TikTok-friendly.
One example appears to be axed Nadiya Bychkova who boasts 19,000 followers, while Dianne Buswell, also 36, with 966,000 followers has kept her place in the line-up.
Karen, who was Strictly’s longest-serving female dancer, is a similar story with her 9,000 followers while safe newcomer Alexis has a whopping 190,000.
Karen branded her axing from the show ‘stressful and emotional’.
Speaking about her heartbreaking career overhaul, she said: ‘It’s been a terribly stressful and emotional time and my four dogs have really helped me get through it. What’s just happened is part of life and the stresses that go with it.’
Meanwhile Fleur East and Janette Manrara have also reportedly been axed from Strictly Come Dancing’s spin-off It Takes Two.
Insiders say bosses are plotting a major revamp of the BBC Two weeknight show in the wake of a string of scandals that have rocked the franchise.
Former Strictly pro Janette, 42, took over hosting duties in 2021 after eight years on the main show, while pop star Fleur, 38, joined the line-up in 2023 after reaching the final the year before.
But now both stars are said to be in the firing line as executives push for a bold new direction.
‘Fans will be stunned that this bloodbath is continuing, but bosses are determined to overhaul the show completely,’ an industry source told The Sun.
‘Nobody feels safe right now and there’s a real drive behind the scenes to usher in a fresh era after all the recent drama.
‘But the priority is a clean slate by September and putting distance between the show and the controversies of recent years.’
The source added actions taken by BBC bosses do not mean Janette and Fleur ‘are out of the picture entirely’ and that there could be other roles for them ‘elsewhere’.
Sources suggest bosses are aiming for an entirely fresh start following years of criticism and controversy surrounding the professional dancers.
Elsewhere, Neil Jones, 43, who has rarely had a celebrity dance partner on the show, will also go without one this year, as will Nancy Xu, 34. It’s believed they may still appear in the big group dance numbers.
