The ‘real reasons’ behind Nadiya Bychkova’s reported axing from Strictly have allegedly been revealed.
Nadiya, 36, who has been on the show since 2017, was reportedly informed by show bosses she won’t be returning to the series later this year.
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Nadiya Bychkova ‘distraught’ after Strictly ‘axe’
Over the weekend, it was reported that Nadiya has been axed from Strictly.
The Ukrainian dancer, who joined the show in 2017, was paired with Chris Robshaw in the last series.
Her highest finish in the competition was fifth back in 2021 with Dan Walker. Since then, she has failed to finish higher than 13th.
Nadiya was said to be “distraught” by the decision. “Nadiya is distraught. The news came as such a huge shock as Nadiya’s life was Strictly, and to find out she’s not been invited back as full time pro has really broken her heart. No one was expecting producers to chop so many professionals,” a source told The Sun.
“Especially someone like Nadiya, who’s shown so much dedication to the show over the years. There’s a super weird feeling among the rest of the pros now; they’re all wondering if they’re safe, and everyone’s nervous.”
‘Real reasons behind Nadiya’s axing’
There have been rumblings claiming Nadiya was axed due to her age. However, a source claimed to the Daily Mail that such allegations are “well wide of the mark”.
According to the publication, Nadiya’s axing is due to her behaviour off the dancefloor. One alleged reason behind her axing was due to her “uncompromising” behaviour behind the scenes. The star was reportedly unhappy that she was without a celeb partner in 2023, and made it known.
Bosses were also allegedly unhappy with her relationship with Kai Widdrington. The relationship, which lasted two years, came to an end in July 2024. Their split allegedly caused tension behind the scenes, with pros reportedly feeling “awkward” in their company.
Nadiya’s close friendship with Dan Walker, with whom she danced with in 2021, also did not go down well with bosses, who believed it brought “unwanted attention” to the show.
The fact that she has failed to finish higher than 13th in recent years has also reportedly factored into the decision to call time on her Strictly career.
Strictly star Nadiya Bychkova’s axing
“Strictly is a light entertainment show, but it has to be competitive – otherwise it doesn’t work. 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,” a source claimed.
“But Nadiya’s last three outings with a celebrity partner (also including Matt Goss) haven’t pulled up any trees – she hasn’t even made the top 10 with any of them. So in order to keep standards high, there’s hoping whoever fills Nadiya’s place on the line-up will achieve better results,” they then added.
Her friendship with Dan Walker has also come under scrutiny. Last year, married Channel 5 star Dan cut a family holiday short to briefly return to the UK to host a ceremony Nadiya was at. Sources claimed at the time that Dan acted like Nadiya’s “Instagram husband” during the ceremony, taking selfies and pictures with her. “When he came off stage, he then spent the whole time taking selfies with Nadiya and other celebrities. It was all very odd,” a source told The Mail at the time.
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Nadiya’s friendship with Dan Walker
Five years on from dancing together, their friendship still “wrangles” with bosses, according to a source.
“Nadiya’s relationship with Dan still wrangles with many execs; it makes them feel uncomfortable and triggers needless attention. It’s not a great look for either of them, but as Nadiya is still connected with the show, she has more to lose by seemingly parading this cosy connection. Their friendship became a problem,” they claimed.
Dan has been married to wife Sarah for 25 years. They have three children together.
The source added that several dancers in their mid-thirties – including Dianne Buswell, Lauren Oakley, and Johannes Radebe – all “appear” to be staying on. They added it’s “just a case of freshening things up”.
ED! has contacted the BBC and Nadiya’s representatives for comment.
Read more: Strictly bloodbath continues as Karen Hauer and Katya Jones ‘in firing line for axe’
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