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Privacy NoticeIt is the worst crisis Strictly Come Dancing has ever faced – and is one that some are claiming sees the future of the BBC’s biggest entertainment show hanging in the balance. This year marks 20 years of Strictly on our small screens. As such, the lead-up to the launch of the sparkling new series should be one of joy and celebration, with its usual dose of warmth, glamour and drama, from tense dance-offs to rumours of the Strictly ‘curse’. Instead, this year it has become what amounts to a PR nightmare. First Giovanni, now Graziano – with two of its most popular professional dancers now facing accusations of bullying or abusive behaviour, the image of a beloved ‘family-friendly show’ – one of the few that the whole family can sit and watch together – is in tatters, and there are doubts about whether it can survive. And last Thursday, reports emerged that dancer Nadiya Bichkova, who has split from fellow pro Kai Waddington, had approached the BBC to make a ‘complaint’. Nadiya has since denied this.
Amanda struggled during training – and later spoke out about the experience
(Image: Pixel8000)
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Graziano Di Prima admits he kicked Zara McDermott during Strictly Come Dancing rehearsal
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PR expert Dermot McNamara of Candid told OK! : “In essence, there are now several people – though not all have made official comments, such as Laura Whitmore and Ranvir Singh (but there haven’t been any denials either), making claims about training methods with other pros.’ “I think the BBC will be waiting to see if any other people will be coming forward. It seems to indicate that there’s a bigger issue at hand here. This could well be the tipping point. It’s more than a PR headache, it’s an absolute nightmare. Dermot added: “In my opinion, Strictly don’t seem particularly confident that everything seems OK. They have said they will have people at the training now, but that doesn’t fill me with much hope or confidence. If these were isolated incidents, I think you wouldn’t feel the need to bring in these measures, surely.” “To me, it feels like the BBC is reluctant to sign people up. They seem particularly cautious and non-committal this year. In my own experience, you get a straight yes or no on a celebrity. “By now, we’d have 5 or 6 names in the fray before the big announcement – and we’ve only had about 3. We’d normally have more of an idea at this point – they’re launching the line-up in around 6 weeks’ time. Does this mean they’re not even sure the show will happen?I wouldn’t be surprised if the show didn’t come back this year at all.”
Zara in training with Graziano last year
Graziano Di Prima, 30, was dismissed by the BBC earlier this month over claims of ‘gross misconduct’ which arose after video footage in training was seen and deemed unacceptable with his celebrity partner Zara McDermott. A spokesperson later confirmed that Graziano had kicked Zara during rehearsals last year. “There is never a time when kicking, or any sense of that is right,” Mark Borkowski told BBC News. “And he knows that. He knows he’s made a mistake. He apologised at the time.” In a statement after the news emerged on Instagram, the Sicilian said he ‘deeply regrets’ the events that led to his departure. Zara, in a statement on Instagram a few days later, said it was a “dream come true” being on the show – but that her “experience inside the training room was very different”. “I have wrestled with the fear of opening up — I was scared about public backlash, I was scared about my future, I was scared of victim shaming. But after a lot of conversations with those I love, I’ve gained the strength to face these fears, and when asked to speak to the BBC, I spoke candidly about my time on the show.” Former pro Kristina Rihanoff speaking on ITV’s Lorraine said she was “heartbroken” to read Zara McDermott’s statement about her time on Strictly, calling the reports “disturbing”. She said: “All of this is very distressing for a lot of Strictly fans to read and for someone who worked on the show for eight years, for me it is very disturbing and upsetting.” Addressing Zara’s statement, the dancer continued: “For me as a woman it was heartbreaking that she actually suffered so much stress. It is never ok in any shape or form that should be allowed and it’s just very sad that she had to leave it for a whole year.”
Kristina Rihanoff, a former pro on the show, said she found Zara’s allegations ‘disturbing’
(Image: BBC/Guy Levy)
Giovanni Pernice, 33, quit earlier this year after his celeb partner Amanda Abbington claimed her time with him left her with post-traumatic stress disorder. And a source has claimed that, behind the scenes, BBC bosses are reeling after recent events – and worried about the show’s ability to survive them. “Strictly has always had its controversies, especially when it comes to the ‘Strictly Curse’, but bosses have never had to deal with anything like this before and some are worried that they just won’t recover”, they told . “It’s losing its reputation as a family friendly show and, while they will definitely be going ahead with this series, there are questions over whether they’ll be back next year. The source added, “This was meant to be their celebratory year as it’s been 20 years since it began, and they had lots planned – but the Giovanni and Graziano incidents have really soured things” And now other stories are coming to light. 2023 contestant Angela Rippon ’s agent Sue Ayton claimed, in an interview on Radio 4, that the show’s producers had asked the star after a nasty injury, where she cut herself with her stiletto, ‘not to mention you cut your leg and there was blood’ in a newspaper column.
Amanda claimed her experiences on the show with Giovanni had given her ‘PTSD’
(Image: PA)
Recent events surrounding Strictly, claimed the source, have ‘scared’ celebrities over taking part at all – and there is no doubt that part of the pulling power of Strictly is the calibre of its celebrities – from Olympic champions to beloved soap stars – wanting to take to the fabled dancefloor. We see them in a way we have never seen them before. “They have worked hard on the line-up this year but are scared celebrities are now going to pull out. They’ve had to make a lot of reassurances that they will be looked after and that bullying doesn’t take place. The BBC has announced new measures to protect stars taking part in this year’s competition, including a production team member in rehearsal rooms at all times and increased welfare support. But the professional dancers, the source claims, are also ‘terrified’ that they could end up in the same situation as their former Italian colleagues, who quit under clouds of controversy. “The dancers are furious as they are terrified that they will be accused of the same things as Gio and Graziano as they are all perfectionists and want the best from their partners”, they said. “They have to be strict at times to be able to get them to put on a good show and routine but they’re scared that their teaching methods will come under fire and the performances won’t be up to scratch. It’s only a few weeks before the show starts and it’s really not a happy place right now – the atmosphere is quite tense and stressful.”
Tess and Claudia are the heartblood of the show
(Image: BBC)
As for co-hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, Pr expert Dermot claims they will be watching on with concern. “They’ll be worried – they genuinely love this show and have built up wonderful family-friendly personas on it. But neither would be involved in its production or training. They will probably be as shocked as we are at what’s coming out.” For all those worried about the show’s future, however, there will be just as many that are excitedly waiting for its return – and believe it will more than survive these latest controversies. Lynn Parratt of Pressbox PR told new, “While the 20th anniversary is being somewhat overshadowed at the moment, the show and the brand is bigger than any of its dancers, celebrities and even star judges. “If the new series comes back with a bang, viewers are on board and ratings are high, I don’t think we will see a lasting impact on the show from this – and hopefully in another 20 years time, we’ll be celebrating 40 years of the Glitterball.” And fans online seem to agree. One commented, “Why should the show be cancelled for a few rotten apples”, while another wrote: “I absolutely love Strictly. It’s the program I look forward to in the run up until Christmas. Hopefully all will be resolved’. Story SavedYou can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterCommentMore OnClaudia WinklemanGiovanni PerniceKristina RihanoffLaura WhitmoreTess DalyZara McdermottLorraineStrictly Come DancingDramaChristmasGraziano Di Prima
