BBC tries to attract younger Strictly viewers after recruiting social media savvy pros and overhauling ban on reality stars and influencers

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This year’s season of Strictly Come Dancing will likely be quite different from what viewers are used to.

Strictly Come Dancing hasn’t announced its new hosts yet, following Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman’s departure last year. Several popular professional dancers, including Karen Hauer, Nadiya Bychkova, Michelle Tsiakkas, Luba Mushtuk, and Gorka Marquez, have also left the show.

Even though it was still the top Saturday night show last year, viewership has been declining recently, and the 2024 season saw a significant decrease in average viewers.

As the 2026 event approaches, the BBC appears to be trying a new strategy: attracting a younger viewership to the show.

Sources said Monday night that show executives apparently used TikTok to help determine which professional dancers would be let go in a recent series of cuts.

According to a recent report, the show is prioritizing contestants with large social media followings, even if they aren’t as strong dancers, in a clear attempt to appeal to viewers aged 18-24.

So what is involved in the BBC’s bid to attract young viewers…

TikTok numbers

Show executives apparently used TikTok to help them decide which professional dancers to eliminate during recent cuts.

Okay, so I’ve been following everything about this season, and honestly, it’s driving me crazy! It seems like they’re picking contestants based on how many followers they already have on TikTok, not necessarily how amazing their dancing is! It’s like they’re just desperate to get younger viewers and think having a big online presence is more important than actual talent. It’s so frustrating to watch – I want to see incredible dancers, not just influencers who can do a few moves!

Nadiya, who has 19,000 followers, seems to have been removed from the show, while Dianne Buswell, with a much larger following of 966,000, remains a contestant.

Oh my gosh, can you BELIEVE it? Karen, our queen who’s been on Strictly forever – seriously, she’s a legend! – only has 9,000 followers! It’s a travesty! And then there’s Alexis, the newbie, who’s barely been on the show and already has almost 200,000! It just doesn’t seem fair! I’m starting a campaign to get Karen the followers she deserves, honestly!

According to a source, ‘Strictly’ is constantly trying to grow its viewership, both by reaching more people overall and by appealing to a younger audience.

A source explained to The Sun that social media is key to reaching a wider audience, and TikTok is an ideal platform for a show heavily featuring music and dance.

Being popular on TikTok isn’t essential for staying on the team, but it could be what helps someone keep their spot.

It comes after dancer Karen branded her axing from the show ‘stressful and emotional’.

Reports suggest that Fleur East and Janette Manrara have been removed from Strictly Come Dancing’s It Takes Two. It’s currently unknown who will be taking their place.

Social media savvy pros

Okay, so everyone’s talking about the pros being let go, which is awful! But honestly, it’s easy to forget that just last year, they brought in a whole new wave of players – these kids are amazing and totally get social media. It’s like they’re building for the future, even while dealing with all this now. I’m just saying, it’s not all bad news, and I’m so excited to see what these new pros can do!

As a lifestyle expert, I’ve seen firsthand how bringing in fresh perspectives can really energize a dynamic. That’s exactly what happened when Alexis and Julian Caillon, who hails from Australia, joined the team. To help them integrate and thrive, they were each paired with a professional partner – a fantastic way to build synergy and maximize their impact.

At just 25 years old, Alexis teamed up with popular YouTuber and podcaster George Clarke, a combination designed to appeal to a younger generation.

While Julian, 30, was paired with actress Balvinder Sopal.

Alexis is very active on TikTok, sharing videos about her everyday life and routines. As a result, she’s gained a large and devoted following.

Last year, when she appeared on George’s show, clips of her rehearsals were shared online and quickly gained popularity with both of their fans.

We’ll have to wait and see who takes the place of the dancers who have left, but it’s likely that a new generation of younger performers will be joining Strictly Come Dancing.

Casting more YouTubers and influencers 

Strictly Come Dancing reportedly decided to stop casting reality TV stars because show officials were frustrated with celebrities falsely claiming they were being considered for the show when they hadn’t even been contacted.

In 2018, The Sun reported that company leaders were tired of celebrities repeatedly mentioning their own names to promote weight-loss DVDs.

Because of this situation, they’ve decided to ban reality stars from profiting from the show.

The show had previously featured appearances by Big Brother winner Allison Hammond and former TOWIE star Mark Wright.

The rule was later changed, and now younger people, including those famous on YouTube, in reality TV, and from shows like Love Island, are participating.

In recent years, several well-known personalities have participated, including YouTuber George, Love Island stars Amber Davies and Tasha Ghouri, and social media influencers HRVY and Saffron Barker.

The BBC appears to be following ITV’s lead by increasingly featuring YouTubers and social media influencers in its programs.

Last year, AngryGinge from I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! showed how popular social media personalities are becoming on reality TV when he won the show.

Bringing social media personalities and influencers onto popular reality shows like ‘I’m A Celebrity’ was a strategy to reach a younger audience.

This approach proved successful in the finale, attracting 7.1 million viewers, with a significant 74% falling into the 16-34 age group.

Twenty-four-year-old AngryGinge, a popular streamer on Twitch and YouTube, is hoping to achieve the same success as former jungle contestants Nella Rose and GK Barry. Both Rose and Barry have landed numerous television opportunities since appearing on the show.

BBC3 return

Strictly Come Dancing is trying to attract a younger audience following the relaunch of BBC Three as a traditional TV channel in 2022.

The channel stopped broadcasting on TV in 2016 and moved its content online, becoming available exclusively through the iPlayer.

The company switched broadcasting online to save approximately £30 million annually, and redirected those funds to support drama programming on BBC One.

But it returned following the success of shows including Normal People and Fleabag.

The channel is aimed at viewers between 16 and 34 years old and airs every day from 7 p.m. to 4 a.m., the same schedule it followed when it originally went off the air in 2016.

Axed stars 

Karen Hauer was the latest star to be axed from the show last week.

She and her dog, Marley, went to a dog-friendly event called LitPet’s Sunday Social over the weekend. The event was held at the elegant 180 House on London’s Strand. Marley is one of her four rescue dogs, and she often posts about them on social media.

She described her recent career change as a very difficult and emotional experience, but said her four dogs provided much-needed support. She acknowledged that setbacks are a normal part of life and come with their own challenges.

I’ve noticed how deeply my dogs are affected by my own feelings. It’s amazing, really – they can absolutely tell when I’m stressed, and honestly, they’ve been a huge comfort and have helped me cope with everything I’ve been going through.

Nadiya, Michelle, Luba and Gorka have all been given the boot too.

Sources say that Fleur and Janette have also been let go from their roles on Strictly Come Dancing’s It Takes Two.

Sources close to the show reveal that BBC Two’s weeknight program is facing a significant overhaul following recent controversies.

Janette, a former professional dancer on Strictly Come Dancing, became a host in 2021 after eight years as a performer. Pop singer Fleur joined the show in 2023, following a successful run to the final in 2022.

But now both stars are said to be in the firing line as executives push for a bold new direction.

According to an insider, viewers will be shocked to see the show’s dramatic cuts continuing, but those in charge are committed to a total revamp.

People are feeling uneasy and there’s a strong push to start a new chapter following all the recent difficulties.

The main goal is to start fresh by September and move the show away from the issues it’s faced recently.

According to a source, BBC executives haven’t completely ruled out Janette and Fleur, and they might be considered for different positions within the organization.

Daily Mail has contacted representatives of Fleur, Janette and the BBC for comment.

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2026-03-24 15:37