Michelle Tsiakkas has spoken out after her shock axing from Strictly Come Dancing and admitted that she has started to "grieve" the job she once had with the BBC series

Strictly Come Dancing star Michelle Tsiakkas has spoken out about how her "dream is shattered" after she was axed from the BBC series. The TV star, 30, had served as a professional on the BBC Saturday night favourite since 2022, and notably danced with ex-EastEnders actor Jamie Borthwick two years later.

But Michelle was cut from the upcoming series of the show, which will also be the first in more than a decade to not have Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman at the helm, along with fellow pros Karen Hauer, Luba Muhstuk and Nadiya Bychkova.

Now, the star has admitted that she is "grieving" for the job she once had, especially since she received the news during a half hour Zoom meeting with executive producer Sarah James that her contract would not be renewed.

She said: "I didn’t see it coming. I thought I had more time. When she told me I wasn’t coming back, there was a moment of shock. I felt my story was unfinished.

“It felt out of the blue. It was very tough. I was heartbroken. I went through so many emotions. I gave my life to Strictly! It’s like grief. There are many stages to it, many emotions — sadness, confusion and frustration."

Speaking to The Sun, she added: "Everything I have known for the past four years has gone. Your brain goes through change and panic. It was so sudden, I had a feeling of hopelessness."

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Michelle had been expected to star in the upcoming tour of Strictly: The Professionals, but withdrew as news of her axing from the main show started to emerge. The official Instagram account for the tour posted: "Michelle Tsiakkas has decided not to take part in Strictly The Professionals 2026 Tour.

"We are naturally disappointed but respect her decision and wish her every success for the future. We look forward to starting the tour rehearsals early next month with Julian, Vito, Neil, Gorka, Lauren, Jowita, Luba, Alexis, Kai and Nancy."

A friend of the dancer said the real reason Michelle quit was that she has "a lot to process" after the decision regarding the main show. The source told the Sun: "Michelle feels like she's got a lot to process at the moment.

The changes come as bosses seek to overhaul the long-running series following a decidedly turbulent period for the ballroom competition and the departure of hosts Tess and Claudia.

According to insiders, there could be even more changes before the 2026 series begins to air. Speaking to A source said that all of the current crop of dancers will be having meetings to discuss their futures on the show in the coming weeks.

The source said bosses are keen to shake things up. They said: "Bosses want a fresh start and to bring in new faces after all the drama in recent years and create a new era."

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