Strictly fan-favourite Johannes Radebe will quit the BBC dance show at the end of the current series, it’s been reported.
Johannes joined the show in 2018, finishing as runner-up alongside John Whaite back in 2021. This year, he’s partnered with Gladiators star Montell Douglas.
However, if the reports are true, this year could be his last, with Johannes tipped to walk away from the show at the end of the current series.
Strictly news: Johannes Radebe tipped to quit
Reports suggest that Johannes is “overwhelmed with work” outside of the BBC ballroom thanks to his popularity on the show.
Next year, from January to July, he’ll take the lead in the nationwide tour of the musical Kinky Boots. The tour will see him perform more than 200 shows in 25 different cities across the UK and Ireland.
As well as that, he is also turning his autobiography, Jojo: Finally Home, into a movie. And, according to The Sun, he’ll be too busy to fit in Strictly Come Dancing around these other commitments.
A Strictly insider alleged: “Johannes is hugely loved on the show and there isn’t an atom of bad feeling about him leaving. Both he and the show’s bosses realise he is overwhelmed with work as a result of his soaring popularity and wish him all the best.
“But nobody can ever get so big that they continually take up too much limelight – the star of the show must always be the show itself. That was something obvious when even Sir Bruce Forsyth left his hosting job, even though he was synonymous with Strictly. It was a similar story when his fellow South African pro Oti Mabuse left two years ago – and she went on to bigger things too.”
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‘Too much to juggle’
However, should Johannes leave, it might not be goodbye forever. The source went on to add: “Of course, bosses will probably try to find a way to bring him back at some point and he would no doubt consider returning. But for now, he just has too much to juggle alongside the contest. It isn’t just the announced projects that he’s working on, there are other opportunities in the pipeline too, which he can now explore further.”
ED! has contacted reps for Johannes for comment. The BBC refused to comment on the story.
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Strictly week 8 dances
For now, though, Johannes’ focus is very much on the Strictly dancefloor.
This weekend, he and Montell will be dancing Paso Doble to Lola’s Theme by The Shapeshifters.
And, if they make it through, the next stop will be Blackpool.
Strictly Come Dancing is on Saturday (November 9) at 6.35pm.
Read more: Amy Dowden breaks down in tears as she discusses Strictly exit on It Takes Two
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