Entertainment
Strictly Come Dancing professional dancers ‘divided’ on whether Russian stars should appear in next series: ‘Tensions are high’
Katya and Luba were both born in St Petersburg (Picture: BBC/PA Wire/Rex/Shutterstock)
Strictly Come Dancing professional dancers are reportedly divided on whether the show’s Russian stars, including Katya Jones and Luba Mushtuk, should appear on the next series following Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
As many brands and companies including Netflix and McDonald’s pull out of Russia, the country is facing boycotts and sanctions from all over the world.
Popular BBC One show Strictly is now reportedly split on whether to include the Russian stars in the cast.
Katya, 32, and Luba, 32, were both born in St Petersburg, while two of their co-stars – Nikita Kuzmin, 24, and Nadiya Bychkova, 32 – are of Ukrainian descent.
Neither Katya nor Luba have yet made a public statement condemning Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, although Katya did share an Instagram Story with the message: ‘Praying for peace and love in the world.’
According to The Sun, the rest of the professional dancing team are divided on whether the pair should stay on the show for the next season.
Katya won the 2017 series with actor Joe McFadden and was in the first same-sex couple with boxer Nicola Adams in 2020 (Picture: Instagram/katyajones)
A source said: ‘Tensions are high and there’s a lot of strong feeling about this.
‘Some of the dancers would want producers to make a decision and say “You can’t come back for the next series.”‘
The source added that Katya and Luba are unaware of the controversy and concerns among their colleagues.
‘Some of the professionals feel it’s in bad taste to have them on the show.’
The insider added: ‘There’s a feeling that it would not be appropriate for them to return,’ despite the fact that the dancers have ‘done nothing wrong and have been gutted by the scenes in Ukraine at the hands of their homeland’.
Luba has competed in two series since joining in 2018, coming last and second last with rower James Cracknell and NFL player Jason Bell (Picture: PA)
Former professional Strictly dancer James Jordan, 43, has called on Russian professional dancers to publicly condemn the war, tweeting: ‘I don’t see many of the Russian dancers I know, and have even shared the Strictly dance floor with, openly speaking out about the war against Ukraine.
‘But they are still promoting themselves on social media? Very disappointed.’
Other stars of the show have also raised awareness of the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.
Last week on Lorraine, Nikita struggled to hold back tears as he described the situation ‘incredibly scary,’ but said it’s ‘so inspiring to see the Ukrainian people fight. Everyone’s coming together to defend our country’.
Just yesterday, he shared an emotional post as he reunited with his grandmother who had fled Ukraine.
‘I’ve been immersed in this situation for the first time in real life. Although I know I should have been happy for my family, I couldn’t. Just had tears in my eyes, because of how sad the situation is. How many thousands of kids and women doing their absolute best to stay strong,’ he wrote.
Former Strictly Russian pro Pasha Kovalev has also shared his support for the people of Ukraine, pledging to donate funds from his new show to Save The Children.
Pasha said his ‘heart is with family, friends and everyone in Ukraine’ (Picture: PA)
Pasha wrote on Instagram: ‘The current situation in Ukraine hits too close to home for the both of us as Russian nationals.
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‘Our passport may say one thing but our hearts are with our family, friends and everyone still in Ukraine that are fighting for freedom and lives.’
Strictly Come Dancing representatives declined to comment, and Metro.co.uk has contacted representatives for Luba and Katya.
Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC One later this year.
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