Katya Jones has broken her silence after surviving Strictly Come Dancing's brutal bloodbath that saw a string of stars axed from the series. The Russian dancer, 36, took to Instagram on Friday with a leggy snap of herself in a skimpy and sparkly look from the series, promising fans her return would 'give them a reason to smile'.
In recent months, Nadiya Bychkova, Karen Hauer, 43, Michelle Tsiakkas, 30, Luba Mushtuk, 36, and Gorka Marquez, 35, have all been given the boot. While the BBC confirmed the 2026 pro-line up on Thursday, with Katya staying put, making it her 11th series.
She wrote on Instagram: 'See you in September. Back on @bbcstrictly . To give all of you a reason to smile, bring families together, to offer something joyful to carry us through the winter. Shall we dance?'
Fans were delighted with the news, writing: 'Fantastic news Katya. Congratulations on another year at Strictly': 'The best choreography in my humble opinion': 'I'm so pleased you get to continue showing us all your extraordinary dance skills and flair!': 'Yessss Katya!!!!! Can’t wait to see you back'.
Dianne Buswell, who competed on the show last year while pregnant with her first child, and gave birth to son Bowden in March, will also return for the new series. Amy Dowden will also be back on the show, after her stint on last year's run came to an early end, when she and Thomas Skinner were the first pair to be eliminated.
Also set to return are: Julian Caillon, Neil Jones, Nikita Kuzmin, Jowita Przystał, Johannes Radebe, Aljaž Škorjanec, Alexis Warr, Kai Widdrington, Nancy Xu, Lauren Oakley and Vito Coppola. Bosses also revealed that there will be brand new professional dancers joining the line-up in 2026, while judges Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke and Head Judge Shirley Ballas are also set to return.
However, they have still not secured new hosts following Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman's departure, and it's a race against time with just four months to go before the 24th series is due to kick off.
Last week, Gorka confirmed his permanent departure from Strictly Come Dancing – putting an end to ongoing uncertainty regarding his future on the show. The Spanish ballroom professional is the latest high-profile name to be leaving the much-loved programme amid this year's bloodbath as producers make sweeping cast changes ahead of its 24th series later this year.
Taking to Instagram on Tuesday, he wrote: 'After last year's decision to step down as a full-time professional due to scheduling conflicts between Strictly and Dancing With The Stars Spain, I've decided that now is the time to hang up my dance shoes and say goodbye to Strictly Come Dancing. I will always be incredibly grateful to Strictly and the BBC for everything. Being part of the show has been so much more than just a professional opportunity—over the past 10 years, it allowed me to build a career from my passion, find love, start a family, and make lifelong friends. For that, I will forever be thankful. Although I'm stepping away from the dance floor, I can't wait to dance on the Strictly Pro Tour starting this week and continue being part of this incredible family. Now it's time to take a step back, enjoy the sidelines… and hopefully hold up a few paddles and give out some tens along the way. Thank you to everyone who has supported me and shared their love throughout this incredible journey. Keep dancing.'
Leaks about celebrity competitors normally begin to circulate around this time of year, but instead all the focus is on finding replacements for Claudia and Tess, who departed the flagship show last year. Tess and Claudia announced they were leaving back in October but six months on there is still no confirmation of who will take over.
After weeks of speculation and multiple major names turning the job down, nine shortlisted stars were summoned to a top-secret location in London to battle it out in full-scale dress rehearsals with a judging panel and live band in a bid to get the troubled show back on track. BBC bosses held secret auditions and chemistry tests with the celebrities and forced the stars to sign strict NDAs to keep the tryouts under wraps.
A source told The Sun: 'It's not just about reading autocue. They'll be looking at how people work together and humour is a massive part of it. There's everything to play for.' The chosen few who were called to the final test were watched closely and bosses are hoping to make a decision soon. Among those confirmed to be in the callbacks were Rylan Clark, Emma Willis, Tom Allen, podcast host Angela Scanlon and One Show presenter Alex Jones.
