BBC Strictly Come Dancing blow as Johannes Radebe set to quit to quit show for career change

Johannes Radebe has been working as a Strictly Come Dancing professional since 2018 but now looks set to turn his back on the long-running BBC show to focus on bigger and better projects

Strictly Come Dancing star Johannes Radebe is tipped to quit the show upon the climax of the 2024 season.

The 37-year-old South African dance sensation has been working as one of the professionals on the long-running BBC celebrity competition since 2018. For the 2024 season of Strictly, he was paired with Gladiators star Montell Douglas, 38 - and the pair are still in with a chance of winning the Glitterball Trophy.

But now it is being reported that Johannes is planning to turn his back on Strictly next year in order to chase other dance dreams - including turning the story of his life into a film. It has been suggested he has landed a leading role in a huge stage musical - and that he would be kept on stage for at least seven months, making it impossible for him to participate in the 2025 season of Strictly.

The long-running BBC show has a tendency to begin airing in August each year, however celebrities and their dance partners are paired up weeks before the launch show in order to give them time to train. With commitments elsewhere, it is feared Johannes will be forced to drop out of the show.

A source told The Sun: “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."

The source went on to explain that the door is expected to be left open to Johannes to return at a future date, but adds: "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.” The Mirror has contacted a spokesperson of the star for comment.

Earlier this year, it was revealed Johannes's memoir, titled JoJo: Finally Home, was taking huge steps forward to becoming a big screen film with reports that production company Argo Films had agreed to make the project. Producer Richard Johns told Deadline in September: "Johannes’ story is so full of joy and life that I found the project completely irresistible and therefore couldn’t be more thrilled to work with [producers] Anthony and Helena on bringing this uplifting memoir to the screen. They are an incredible pairing, used to working together, but have quickly made me feel welcome as part of the team.”

The Strictly star's life story details his upbringing and childhood in the South African township of Zamelda and goes on to describe his rise in the world of dance - which has led to him performing on the smash BBC show Strictly.

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