The BBC has denied reports that it has axed the hosts of Strictly Come Dancing companion show It Takes Two.
When Strictly returns in September, it will feature new hosts following the departure of Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, as well as a refreshed line-up of professionals due to the alleged axing of five stars.
It’s now been claimed that bosses had dropped Janette Manrara and Fleur East from It Takes Two, which airs during the week and features updates from rehearsals with the show’s contestants.
However, the BBC has said it is “factually incorrect to claim that either has been axed”.
It was claimed by The Sun that the alleged decision to drop Manrara and East was because bosses “want a completely new look and fresh start for the show” – and that the pair could be “repurposed elsewhere”.
A source continued: “Nobody feels safe at the moment, but execs are determined to have a complete refresh after all the drama in recent years and create a new era.
“Everyone at the BBC is keen to start with a clean slate come September, distancing themselves from damaging incidents from the past.”
But the BBC shut down the reports, telling The Independent: “Plans for Strictly Come Dancing 2026 will be confirmed in due course.”
Manrara started as a professional on the main Strictly show in 2013 before replacing Zoe Ball on It Takes Two in 2021, joining Rylan. When Rylan left the show in 2023, East, the singer and DJ who competed on the show the previous year, became Manrara’s co-host.
It was reported earlier this month that professional dancers Michelle Tsiakkas, Gorka Márquez, Luba Mushtuk, Nadiya Bychkova and Karen Hauer had been dropped from Strictly. Over the weekend, though, Hauer, the show’s longest-serving pro, announced she had quit the show.
Since her 2010 debut, Hauer has been partnered with stars ranging from late Hairy Bikers chef Dave Myers to Made in Chelsea star Jamie Laing, with whom she finished in second place.
It’s also been reported that Neil Jones and Nancy Xu will remain as professionals on the show, but won’t have celebrity partners for the forthcoming series.
It’s currently unknown who will replace Daly and Winkleman as hosts after the pair bowed out in December 2025.
Frontrunner contenders include Ball, Rylan and The One Show’s Alex Jones.
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