Strictly pros' secret fury at BBC bosses in contract blow after Tess and Claudia quit

Former Strictly Come Dancing professional James Jordan has hit out at BBC bosses over a bitter contract row just days after Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman quit the show. Each year, the dancers sign a new contract with the production to become part of this series' dance troupe.

It is understood that they are asked to promote the show through various media appearances and on social media throughout the series. Although the BBC does not share the exact amount the professional dancers earn per series, it's been reported that they can earn from £35,000 to £50,000. They also earn extra amounts for the Strictly Live tour and the Strictly Come Dancing: Professionals tour.

Now, the professional ballroom dancer has hit out at BBC bosses after he revealed a major change to the dancers' contracts on the show. Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk with Freebets.com-the home of the best betting sites-he revealed that pro dancers no longer find out if they will be training a celebrity for the series before signing their contracts.

He told us: "Back in my day, it was very different. When you signed the contract, you knew if you were getting a celebrity partner. Now they don't. They don't know if they're going to be part of the troop or be given a celebrity partner.

"I wouldn't sign the contracts, and people might say, 'Oh, you're too big for your boots, but I wouldn't want to be in the troop if I'm on the show. I want to be at the forefront, teaching the celebrity'. They should stick together as professionals and say, 'Sorry, we're not signing the contract unless we know before we start the show. '

It would be like the show saying, 'Okay, we'd like you to be a part of the show. You're either going to be a producer or a runner, but we don't know yet until you sign your contract'. It's bull***t. How can you sign a contract like that?"

Jordan continued: "For me, it actually frustrates me because I feel sorry for the dancers because they're all so desperate to do the show, which I understand. But in any walk of life, would you sign a job not knowing what role you're going to be given? No, absolutely not. Why are they doing that to them?"

Express.co.uk contacted a BBC representative for a comment but they declined to comment. The award-winning dancer went on to share sympathy for long-term dancer Neil Jones, who has been a part of the BBC reality show since 2016. Throughout his tenure, the dad-of-one has only had three celebrity partners: Alex Scott, Toyah Willcox, and Nina Wadia.

The TV personality argued: "He's not had many and he's also British, so they're bringing people in from overseas when you've got great British dancers in this country that could be given the chance as well.

"I personally know some really good British dancers who could be on the show, and that's not me saying anything negative about the foreign dancers being on the show, because my wife was on the show for 10 years, and she's Polish.

"But it was primarily back in my day, we had a lot of British dancers on the show. I think it's a shame that Neil hasn't got a partner, and you've brought someone else in from overseas, and you're still not giving them a partner.

"I think that's a bit of a kick in the nuts, really. I'd be gutted. I'm actually surprised that he wants to be part of the show, but that's my opinion. I'd be like, 'Well, if you don't think I'm good enough for the show, I'm not going to be a back-up dancer, ' but that's just me, cause I would have left."

Strictly Come Dancing airs on Saturdays from 6.20pm on BBC One, or catch up on BBC iPlayer.