THE fate of sacked Strictly Come Dancing pros was sealed by how many followers they have on TikTok.
The social media platform has been behind the revival of the US version of the show, Dancing with the Stars, and bosses want to do the same with the upcoming UK series.
That means replacing many of the older stars who do not have huge followings online, such as Karen Hauer, 44, with younger TikTok-friendly professional dancers such as 25-year-old Alexis Warr.
A show insider said: “Strictly is always looking for ways to increase its audience in terms of volume, but also in terms of attracting new, young viewers.
“Social media is a massive part of broadening that appeal, and TikTok is the perfect medium for a show where music and dance is at the forefront.
“They won’t simply lose someone from the line up because they aren’t big on TikTok, but it might just be the thing that saves them from exiting the line-up.”
An obvious example is Dianne Buswell and Nadiya Bychkova, both 36.
They were both high profile members of the pro troupe, but Dianne, who has 966,000 TikTok followers, is staying, while Nadiya, with just 19,600 followers, is leaving the series.
Departing Karen, meanwhile, has just 9,122 followers, while new girl Alexis — who finished second last year — has 190,600.
It is a similar situation with other names who are reportedly not coming back.
Michelle Tsiakkas has just 13,000 TikTok followers, Gorka Marquez has 47,000, while Luba Mushtuk does not have an account.
In comparison, Nikita Kuzmin, 27, has 125,400 followers, Jowita Przystal, 31, has 112,400 and Vito Coppola has 98,700.
A show insider said: “Last year there were more than a billion views of Strictly clips on social media platforms and that was up 40 per cent on 2024.
“The wind is in their sails in that respect and they’d be crazy not to want to maximise that impact by bringing in people with that strong presence on social media — and losing those that don’t.
“That’s why you’ve seen celebrities on the show like Joe Sugg, Tilly Ramsay and, last year George Clarke, with a huge online following.
“But it can’t just be down to the profile of the stars who come on the show.
“Now the pros contribute to that success as well.
“Bosses know the future of Strictly depends on bringing in a new younger audience and directing as many people as possible to iPlayer, and last year the show had record levels of views on the catch up service.
“Plus there is a lot to be said for creating a buzz around a show that goes beyond mere statistics and social media.
“TikTok in particular is perfect for that.”
Social media is fast becoming a hugely-important factor when TV executives consider which shows to keep and which to axe.
ITV recently signed off on three more series of Britain’s Got Talent, partly because clips of the Saturday night show have now been watched 27billion times since it launched in 2007.
The current series also had more than 317million views online.
Similarly, America’s Dancing with the Stars created a buzz like never before in 2025 thanks to having “TikTok Nights” — with shows tapping into viral trends likely to spark more interest in the show from younger audiences.
It was also helped by having the likes of 20-year-old Rylee Arnold among the pros, who boasts 1.7million followers on TikTok.
Series winner Witney Carson, 32 — who formed a sensational pairing with wildlife conservationist Robert Irwin — has 1.2million TikTok followers.
The duo’s sexy salsa — one of the highlights of the season — got 321,000 likes on TikTok, and was viewed 2.1million times on YouTube.
The Sun exclusively revealed in 2024 how Strictly bosses were considering a cull in the not too distant future — and it was made clear this would not just be down to age or gender.
An insider said: “It’s not just going to be a case of the oldest or longest-serving being shown the door.
“It would be a carefully considered process, with other factors taken into account too.
“That could mean saying goodbye to some of the best-known pros — both male and female — but when it comes to Strictly, nobody is ever bigger than the show.”
Last year, in the wake of the Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima scandals, it was felt it was better not to rock the boat any further with a large cull of pro dancers.
But with the departure of Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly as hosts, it was felt 2026 would be the best year to have a clean sweep.
Bosses have spent months deliberating who should stay and who should go, with various criteria used.
The final list is unlikely to be unveiled until next month.
