Six professional dancers were axed from the Strictly Come Dancing lineup, including Karen Hauer, Michelle Tsiakkas, Nadiya Bychkova, Luba Mushtuk, and Gorka Marquez. Strictly bosses reportedly judged some pros' TikTok following when deciding which stars to axe, choosing to keep professionals with bigger online followings to draw in younger viewers. Julian Caillon has 52,000 followers on TikTok.
The full list of professionals set to return for Strictly Come Dancing has not been confirmed by bosses but is expected to be announced in the coming days. Fleur East and Janette Manrara have reportedly been axed from Strictly Come Dancing's spin-off It Takes Two. Julian Caillon was announced as one of two new pros who joined the Strictly Come Dancing lineup for the 2025 series, the other being Alexis Warr.
Caillon and Warr joined the Strictly Come Dancing Live 2026 tour, which started in January in Birmingham and ended in February in London. Caillon has returned to Australia after the tour and is preparing to return to the UK for the Strictly Professionals tour.