"The BBC faces fresh accusations of ageism as Strictly Come Dancing has reportedly axed its oldest female dancer.

According to reports, former champion Karen Hardy, 39, and other professionals are being replaced by dancers in their 20s for the new series."
http://tv.sky.com/ageist-strictly-axe-dancers

I think she's fantastic I don't want to see her go! Do you think it's Ageism or is it just co-incidence that the people they have axed are older? Either way poor decision making!

Already a thread on this topic.

Karen is my least favourite of the female pros so I'm not too upset about us missing out on her pointing and gurning. I don't think it's necessarily ageist either though.

Karen must be working hard at her new dance school and the story does suggest that it was a mutual decision. Plus, as it also states, Darcy Bussell isn't a young scamp, and they are replacing Hayley with a dancer of the same age.

I think it's all a media storm in a teacup, which the Beeb will be fairly pleased about as it propels Strictly into the spotlight weeks before it is due to begin.

All simply my personal opinion though.

I think its stupid. They're trying to attract younger viewers that are never going to watch Strictly anyway, so why aren't they playing to their strengths and targetting their audience properly with familiar people who are favourites on the show? They're trying X Factor style PR this year to boost ratings and it isn't working. Simon Cowell is a master at it, the BBC are not.

Sorry had a look through couldn't see it. my apologies.

Neither could I, so you post away anniecatz!

If they were going to axe Karen as a dancer why not make her a judge? I think she would have been really good!

Thank you That's a good point, surely someone who has been an integral part of this show, would make a brilliant judge. You can argue Alisha was part of it, but she's not spent her working life as a dancer!

The producers have always axed dancers in the past - Paul Killick, Kylie Jones, John Byrnes, Hanna Karrtunnen and Hazel Newbury all disappeared without a trace.

Ditto Andrew Cuerden, Hanna Harrala and Isabela Hannah.

So this is nothing new.

JJ

Hayley being axed has nothing to do with her age - more to do with her dancing, and her lack of personality.

I'm not surprised regarding Karen; the beeb made it clear before the last series that they want to bring in younger pro dancers who have the vitality to match those on DWTS. I can't help thinking it was this that encouraged Erin to have 'work' done before the last series!?

Paul, John, Hannah K and Hazel weren't axed, they didn't want to continue.

Don't about the others, but lovely people though some of them are, they didn't come across as strong personalities.

Well it makes sense and i can't see it being 'ageist'. You want dancers in their prime. Over 35 means most dancers have past their peak.

Lets use common sense here without looking for stuff that just isn't there.

Most sensible post I've seen yet. Thank you Pop Art.

What you say is exactly right, unfortunately!

My favourite dancers all are towards the upper age bracket! and I would be gutted to see them go - I'm familiar with them, I look out for them.

But if you watch the show as I do for the dancing and the pros, rather than the celebs, you know that it is inevitable that eventually younger dancers will come in to replace the older ones - many of the dancers in the upper age bracket on Strictly currently are all looking to diversify their careers in one way or another so that they can have a good career after they finish dancing, and this is only natural.

It is like any physical job - you can do it more effectively when you are younger - its a fact, not an ageist decision.

Much though I don't like it, I do know you are right Pop Art.

The only worry I have about it is that in bringing in younger dancers in order to "freshen it up" (their words not mine) they might start to make Strictly all about the more modern dances which have come in over the last few years, and that some of the lovely traditional dances may be ditched because they aren't "showy" enough - e.g. I would not be at all surprised if Strictly ditched the rumba, and brought in the mambo as one of the dances, for example.

agree with jjackson42 that it has always happened in some way and for various reasons, in his very good example...it's just because we've become so familiar with them now, and have been able to enjoy following them, that it hurts us more to see our favourites go, or to be axed.

is very sad, but is life, unfortunately, I think.

is only my opinion though!

I am not suprised Karen wont be back, and I feel that it might be more her decision than the BBC's to be honest.

Hayley probably should have been given a second chance, she was fighting an uphill battle to bring any personality out of the plank that was Mark Foster.

I can see how she drifted out of it to be honest. She was on fewer episodes in the last 2 series than any other dancer, including those who were only in one of those two series. Given that she wasn't part of an established pair either, I can see how she'd think it might be time to call it a day.

The ageism thing is almost certainly just mischief making to be honest.

Paul Killick wasnt axed he went back to competitive dancing, as did Hanna Kartunnen, Andrew Cuerdon and Hanna Harrala are having a very successful dancing career together, doing their own thing. Dont know about Kylie and Hazel but I imagine they maybe were not axed, just left. John Byrnes only agreed to do one series, he was the consultant to the BBC for that first series. He didnt come back because he was running his own full time dance school and his wife had just had a baby, didnt have the time to commit to it. He has been back though doing the reports on the training videos for Craig ( you didnt think Craig could do that on his own did you?)

Maybe Karen wasnt axed, just moved on to something else like Camilla. It happens I guess even the pros can get tired of dancing to the BBc's tune.

My young neice ( 15) and her friends are all avid viewers of SCD, and i feel that if the BBC are trying X factor PR then given the amount of media attention given to SCD over the last few weeks, it seems to be working.

In dancing, like everything in life, everybody has a shelf life, and like most athletes, it does get harder to keep up as the body gets older, so it is inevitable that the older dancers will start to be replaced with younger dancers, but these younger dancers deserve the chance to show what they can do, and the older dancers should be grateful for the chances they had and i'm sure the kudos of being and ex pro on the show will help them with their dance schools or exhibition work in the future. If the youngsters dont get the chance to come through then we run the risk of ballroom and latin dancing dying out as an artform

Karen was my favourite female pro but strictly always has had and needs new pros to keep the show fresh I hope they do well

Some could argue that Karen's been getting fazed out for the past two series as she's been given some truly aweful partners. I never been a fan of her's but I do think that age is playing a part in the decisions.

It will be interesting to see if any of the older male pro's will be given the boot as well. Ian must be in his late 30's with Anton in his 40's.

I place this story in the band wagon category, Karen made it clear at the end of the last series that she was retiring from the series.

Taking advantage of everyones short memorys to make out she's been sacked

Do you think there may be a less male dancers, in general, therefore they'll probably keep them as long as they can?

If you're going to make a comment like that then posting a link to said other thread would be the best idea

What a shame Karen is leaving but how silly of the BBC not to make her a judge considering she is a professional judge in her own right.

So I take it any celebs over 35 will be considered past their prime and unable to learn to dance.

If they can't have dancers of a certain age surely they cannot have celebs either.

There's been talk of Karen not wanting to come back because of her other commitments for quite a while already. If she's chosen not to come back and the BBC has accepted her decision, how is that ageist?

Karen's my second favourite female pro and I'm really sad to see her go but I'd rather hear her confirm herself whether she chose to go or was pushed. There was a lot of talk at the end of the last series that she didn't want to come back and she has opened her new studio since then so it's quite conceivable that the choice was hers. If it was the BBC's decision I'll be right up there to have a moan but I'd reserve judgement until we hear that.

What this did make me wonder is whether that leaves a male dancer in doubt. Correct me if I'm wrong but the current partnerships are

Vincent-Flavia, Darren-Lilia, James-Ola, Anton-Erin, Brian-Kristina

That leaves Brendan, Ian and Matthew with only the two new female pros. Are the BBC going to bring in another girl or is one of the guys going to go?!