Strictly Come Dancing’s Johannes Radebe has appeared to confirm that he will return for the next series of the BBC dance show following a wave of departures.
The 39-year-old made history in 2021 along with John Whaite after they became the first ever male competitive dancing couple.
However, after reports a professional dancer mass cull last month, the South African’s future on the show has been in doubt.
Now, however, Johannes has seemingly let slip that he will feature in the upcoming 24th season, which will also be replacing Tess Daly and Claudia Winkelman as hosts.
Speaking to The i Paper, the dancer opened up about how he is staying single because he is too busy with work commitments, as he is currently starring as Lola in the 2026 production of Kinky Boots at the London Coliseum.
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However, on top of working on the stage production, he mentioned how he is one of the professional dancers returning to the dancefloor this year.
‘I live at the Coliseum while I’m in Kinky Boots,’ he said.
‘And when that finishes, Strictly will come around again, so I think I’m just too busy [for a love life].’
This comes after several Strictly pros have already announced their exits ahead of the upcoming season, including Michelle Tsiakkas, Luba Mushtuk, Nadiya Bychkova and Karen Hauer.
Most recently, Gorka Márquez confirmed his exit after 10 years to take up a full-time judging role on Dancing with the Stars Spain.
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Sharing a statement on Instagram, he wrote: ‘After last year’s decision to step down as a full-time professional due to scheduling conflicts between Strictly and Dancing with the Stars Spain, I’ve decided that now is the time to hang up my dance shoes and say goodbye to Strictly Come Dancing.
‘I will always be incredibly grateful to Strictly and the BBC for everything. Being part of the show has been so much more than just a professional opportunity—over the past 10 years, it allowed me to build a career from my passion, find love, start a family, and make lifelong friends. For that, I will forever be thankful.’
He ended the post by adding: ‘Thank you to everyone who has supported me and shared their love throughout this incredible journey.’
Johannes, who started on the South African Strictly in 2014 before joining the British show in 2018, finished as runner-up alongside John in the 2021 series, as they lost to Rose Ayling-Ellis and Giovanni Pernice.
Earlier this year, John revealed that he was hospitalised after being run over by a car, calling the incident a ‘near-fatal’ experience.
This came after he tearfully opened up in November 2025 about a five-year addiction to anabolic steroids.
Strictly Come Dancing is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
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