Strictly star Jowita Przystał avoided the mass cull, which saw five long-standing professionals brutally removed from the competition by BBC bosses, amid a show-wide shake up14:25, 19 Jul 2026Updated 14:26, 19 Jul 2026Strictly star Jowita Przystał has opened up on her the bloodbath that was the recent cull of professional dancers from the BBC dance show.‌Jowita, who escaped the mass exodus and will return for the upcoming season of the competition, has revealed she believes that "changes are needed" on the show.‌The stars axed from Strictly Come Dancing were Karen Hauer, Gorka Márquez, Nadiya Bychkova, Luba Mushtuk, and Michelle Tsiakkas, who were asked to leave. Long-term hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman also departed at the end of the last season, with Johannes Radebe, Emma Willis and Josh Widdecombe taking their place after the pair stepped down.‌Jowita, 31, admitted that she's not against the shake up, saying the "exciting" changes feel like Strictly's revamp has turned it into a "new show". She told the Sun on Sunday : "I’m looking forward to it.“I hope the viewers will feel the same way and I hope that we can deliver, like we deliver every year. All we want to do is entertain and give people the best show ever.”‌Although the shake up has given the show a "fresh start", the way it was done has been dubbed truly "brutal" by insiders. According to reports, those who were sacked received very little warning about the major life change that was coming there way.A source told the Sun previously: "It's brutal. Once they're axed, there is very little in the way of duty of care and they are left to lick their wounds alone.‌"Some of the dancers have been told their fate in a 15 minute phone call, even when they'd been on the show for years. Many of them feel like the BBC has pulled the rug from under them, with no warning."Meanwhile, former Strictly pro James Jordan, who appeared on the show between 2006 and 2013, said the cull should have gone further than just dancers. The former Big Brother star and experienced choreographer branded some cast members "deadwood", telling PA: "When you join Strictly, you're taking someone's job, OK?"And people forget that because they're on the show, but then when they're asked to leave, and then they're replaced, they're only worried about that. But they forget at some point, they took someone's job.Article continues below"It's just showbiz, that's what it is. Enjoy it for what it is – it is a juggernaut of a show, and it was an honour for all of us to be part of it for so many years."He added that stars should remember that "it will come to an end at some point", adding that bosses were right to "bring someone younger in". He added: "I believed the cuts could have gone further and they could have got rid of some of the judges as well."Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .