Strictly Come Dancing star makes plea to show bosses as pros dancers face bloodbath
A former Strictly Come Dancing star has issued a huge plea to the BBC show's bosses as the next series is expected to face a huge shake-up after Tess and Claudia's exits
Ali Bastian competed on Strictly in 2009 with Brian Fortuna (Image: PA)
Strictly Come Dancing star Ali Bastian has issued a major plea to bosses of the BBC show. The actress, 44, who is best known for playing the role of Becca Dean in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, featured in the 2009 edition of the competition where she was partnered with Brian Fortuna, whom she also dated for a time.
Almost 20 years later, the programme looks set to undergo significant changes following the shock departure of Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, who presented the show for over a decade.
In recent weeks, it has been reported that Michelle Tsiakkas, who previously danced with former EastEnders star Jamie Borthwick, had been axed by bosses and later quit the upcoming professional tour. It came after the news that long-standing pro Gorka Marquez, who famously got engaged to former Hollyoaks star Gemma Atkinson after they met on the show, had been axed, along with fellow dancer Luba Mushtuk, Karen Hauer and Nadiya Bychkova. The line-up of professional dancers is yet to be confirmed.
Ali, who was partnered with Brian Fortuna, wants the show to go back to its roots (Image: BBC)
Ali recently spoke out about her post-breast cancer treatment (Image: Instagram)
Now, Ali, who recently spoke out about her ‘brutal’ post-breast cancer treatment, has addressed the future of the programme as she fondly recalled her time working with the late Len Goodman, and called on bosses to get the programme “back to its roots” in a way.
She said: “I think it’ll be interesting to see how they do recreate it. When I did it, it was still very true to the come dancing era, it was a lot more classic and there weren’t so many themed weeks and all that sort of thing, we weren’t in crazy makeup, there weren’t loads of props and everything which I think detracts from the actual dancing.
“Plus it was Len’s era as well, so he was a real technician and so he just wanted to see the technique and that you were really learning and improving and I really liked that. I really liked that era and that meant that all of my ballroom dances were very classic.”
A slew of professionals have reportedly been axed from the series (Image: Handout)
Speaking to The Sun, she added: “So part of me would hope that they would go back to their roots in a way and really anchor it back in ballroom dancing – I don’t think that will happen. But I would love to see that because that’s what I loved about it but I think it’ll be bigger, bolder, faster, more tricks, more flips and bigger than ever!”
Insiders recently explained that 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.” Following the news that Karen, who, having appeared since 2012, is the longest-serving professional in the history of the series, will not be back, insiders claimed that it is all about change behind the scenes.
A source told Daily Mail: “Karen is the latest professional dancer to be told her contract will not be renewed this year. It’s very much a case of out with the old and in with the new. As the longest-serving female dancer, Karen found out last week that her time on Strictly is over.”
