Behind the glitter: Strictly Come Dancing star exposes the challenges pros deal with away from the spotlight
Flavia Cacace has opened up about the struggles she faced in the years that followed her departure from Strictly Come Dancing
Flavia Cacace left Strictly Come Dancing in 2012 (Image: BBC)
Flavia Cacace has opened up about the struggles professionals face after leaving Strictly Come Dancing. The dancer, 46, appeared on the BBC Saturday night show from 2006 until 2012 and danced with celebrities like astrologer Russell Grant, former Coronation Street star Craig Kelly and lifted the Glitterball Trophy with former gymnast Louis Smith in her final year.
In recent days, it has emerged that a string of professionals have been brutally axed from the upcoming series, in the wake of the sudden departure of hosts Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly. Amid the fallout out, Flavia has addressed the “really tough” time she has had in the years since her departure.
She said: “Leaving the show after seven years is really tough. I’d say probably for the next two to three years after I left, I found it very hard to watch. I could not bring myself to watch it, even just hearing the theme tune was really hard.
Flavia Cacace and Louis Smith danced together in 2010(Image: PA)
Flavia met her now-husband Jimi Mistry on the show (Image: PA)
But eventually, Flavia, who married actor Jimi Mistry three years after they danced together on the show, eventually learned to embrace the show once and has enjoyed it more in recent times.
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Speaking to Betway, she added: “But the last few years, I’ve been doing a bit more commentating. I’ve done It Takes Two’s choreography corner and lots of radio bits and pieces. I have watched it, and I have actually enjoyed it.
“You do get hooked once you watch it again and you start having a favourite you want to win. I’m back into it a little bit more now – but I did go through a period where I had to turn away.”
A host of professionals have reportedly been axed from the next series (Image: Handout)
Flavia’s comments come just days after it was 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.
According to insiders, there could be even more changes before the 2026 series. Speaking to The Sun, 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.” 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.”
