Strictly Come Dancing faces fresh crisis after allegations of backstage ‘bullying’

Strictly Come Dancing bosses are reportedly struggling to sign up female celebrities after allegations about the behaviour of two of the show’s professional dancers.

Last week, it was announced Graziano Di Prima had been dismissed from the BBC programme after allegations of ‘physical incidents’ with former partner Zara McDermott.

Giovanni Pernice is also under investigation over allegations about his teaching methods, which he denies, while a third unnamed dancer has been identified as a ‘person of interest’ in a probe into the dancing competition.

Now it has been claimed that it has been ‘a lot more challenging’ to recruit female celebrities for Strictly this year as ‘word has got around that it isn’t exactly a walk in the park.’

An executive connected to Strictly told the Daily Mail: ‘Usually it is the women who are more keen.

‘Not only is it an opportunity to get dressed up but appearing on Strictly is also much more fortuitous for females’ careers than men’s.

‘But word has got around that it isn’t exactly a walk in the park, so getting them has a been a lot more challenging.’

It was previously claimed in May that the BBC was finding it difficult to sign up female celebrities after allegations over Pernice’s conduct.

‘Strictly bosses have been left reeling by the backlash against Giovanni,’ a source has said.

‘One problem it has caused is that the booking team are struggling to recruit female celebrities for 2024.

‘In the past, some women have been reluctant to sign up due to the Strictly curse and others have struggled to commit to the full-on schedule. But this has made booking harder than ever,’ they added when speaking to The Mirror.

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‘There is a concern amongst some about their treatment, while others are reluctant to be involved with the show while it’s under a shadow.’

The BBC has already taken drastic action and said that chaperones will now attend rehearsals and new welfare roles will be introduced.

In a statement, the broadcaster said: ‘Concerns that have arisen in recent months have been fundamentally about training and rehearsals. The actions we announce today are designed to address that.’

Earlier this week, McDermott, 27, released a statement after it was claimed Di Prima, 30, ‘kicked and hit’ her during training in 2023.

The former Love Island star said there were videos of ‘particular incidents’ that were ‘distressing’ and spoke about her fear of opening up because she feared ‘victim shaming’ and ‘public backlash.’

Di Prima also issued a statement after his departure in which he said he ‘deeply regretted the events’ that led to his exit.

He said: ‘My intense passion and determination to win might have affected my training regime. Respecting the BBC HR process, I understand it’s best for the show that I step away.

‘While there are aspects of this story involving external influences that I can’t discuss at this time, I remain committed to being strong for my family and friends. I wish the Strictly family and the BBC nothing but success in the future.’

Di Prima added that he would ‘share my story’ when ‘the time is right.’

It was later claimed the dancer was planning ‘legal action’ as he believes more ‘support and help’ should have been offered after he was previously warned about his behaviour.

‘There are questions over their procedures, and how they operate behind the scenes. He believes that there is a lot of pressure on professionals to get nines or tens to entertain the audience,’ a friend of Di Prima told the Daily Mail.

Since the allegations have been public, it has been discovered McDermott and Di Prima no longer follow each other on Instagram.

The Italian dancer is the second professional to leave Strictly after reports of backstage conduct.

Pernice is under investigation after his most recent partner Amanda Abbington quit Strictly after five weeks last year and claimed to have been left with PTSD.

She has since called Pernice ‘tough’, ‘nasty’ and ‘brutal’, and it’s been reported more of his former partners also had issues with his training methods.

He ‘rejects any suggestion of abusive or threatening behaviour’ and said that he ‘looks forward to clearing my name.

Metro.co.uk has contacted the BBC for comment.

Strictly Come Dancing is expected to return to the BBC later this year.

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