James Jordan has spoken out about the recent mass shake-up on Strictly Come Dancing, describing the departure of several professional dancers as “getting rid of dead wood.” The 48-year-old, who was a professional on the BBC show from 2006 to 2013, shared his thoughts on the changes ahead of the next series.
Earlier this year, it was confirmed that Karen Hauer, the longest-serving pro, along with Gorka Marquez, Nadiya Bychkova, Luba Mushtuk, and Michelle Tsiakkas, would not be returning. James believes these changes were necessary to give other dancers a chance.
He told the Press Association: “When you join Strictly, you’re taking someone’s job. People forget that because they’re on the show, but when they’re asked to leave, they only worry about themselves. They forget they once took someone else’s job. It’s just showbiz. Enjoy it for what it is—it’s a juggernaut of a show, and it was an honour for all of us to be part of it for so many years.”
He added: “It needed a shakeup. Some of the pros have been on there for 14 years… dead wood… get rid of them and bring someone younger in, in my opinion.”
However, fellow former pro Ian Waite disagreed, saying: “In my opinion, they got rid of the wrong ones. All the professional dancers are amazing in their own right, but you can’t stay on forever. At some point, you have to give the younger ones a chance.”
James then suggested that the show’s judges—Shirley Ballas, Anton Du Beke, Motsi Mabuse, and Craig Revel Horwood—could also be replaced. He criticised the show for becoming “politically correct” and “nicey-nicey,” adding: “You can’t be negative because the contestants are gonna cry. It’s a dance show. You need that baddie… but even Craig now is toned down a lot.”
He called for more realism: “I want to see how hard they’re working in the training room. I want to see the tears. That’s the magic that needs to come back.”
James left the show after turning down a reduced role that would have meant no longer being paired with a celebrity. He had previously danced with Vanessa Feltz, Denise Van Outen, and Alex Jones.
Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman announced their departure last year and will be replaced by Emma Willis, Johannes Radebe, and Josh Widdicombe. James praised the casting of Willis as “amazing” but expressed uncertainty about her co-stars, saying he would have preferred “someone like Bradley Walsh or Vernon Kay.”
Later this year, James and Ian will join fellow former pros Brendan Cole, Pasha Kovalev, and Vincent Simone for the dance show Vegas: After Hours. The 30-date tour starts in Fareham on October 3 and ends in Cardiff on November 8.
