Strictly Come Dancing can’t possibly go ahead in 2024

One of my greatest regrets in life is not falling in love with Strictly Come Dancing sooner.

Saturday nights were reserved for The X Factor and The X Factor only. I always thought: who in their right mind would watch Kathy Beale actress Gillian Taylforth do a waltz with Anton Du Beke over Alexandra Burke duetting with Beyonce?

And then The X Factor eventually became stale, tired. There simply wasn’t a place for the cruelty of ending people’s dreams in front of millions of people.  

Strictly, on the other hand, was just camp, harmless fun. Craig Revel Horwood is the ‘meanest’ judge on the panel but he’s so akin to a panto dame that him being the harshest critic was nothing compared to the brutality seen on its Saturday night, prime-time rival.

The X Factor will forever be tarnished with disturbing comments made by its judges to contestants, and many singers who competed on the show made alarming allegations about how they were treated.

It belongs in the past, while I’ve always been convinced unproblematic Strictly will outlive us all.

At least I did until Amanda Abbington requested footage of her tense rehearsals with Giovanni Pernice, arguably Strictly’s most popular professional dancer, and the BBC was forced to investigate his conduct.

The Sherlock star said she had been diagnosed with PTSD after her brief stint on the show, which was cut short when she quit over a medical emergency.

It didn’t take long before Amanda’s claims appeared to be backed up by two more stars who worked with Gioavnni, with Amanda reportedly meeting up with Laura Whitmore and Good Morning Britain host Ranvir Singh for a ‘tearful summit’ to discuss their ‘difficult experiences’.

After months of speculation about Giovanni’s Strictly future, the BBC confirmed in June that he would not be part of the upcoming series, but would neither confirm if he left of his own will or if he was dropped.

Many Strictly stars, including judges Shirley Ballas and Anton Du Beke, were quick to show where their loyalties lay, publicly backing Giovanni regardless of the allegations.

Shirley called him a ‘perfect gentleman’ and said he ‘wants the best for anybody who wants to learn’ while Anton, who co-hosts a travel series with Giovanni, still embarked on a nationwide tour with the dancer.

Yes, the investigation is ongoing and perhaps the results will clear Giovanni of any wrongdoing, but at the very least Shirley and Anton’s lack of concern – when they’re both such integral parts of Strictly – isn’t the best indication that these accusations were being taken as seriously as they should be.

The ongoing investigation was the last thing the BBC series needed going into the 20th anniversary celebrations. Then Graziano Di Prima was sacked for allegedly ‘hitting and kicking’ former Love Island star Zara McDermott during rehearsals.

Graziano said he ‘deeply regrets the events’ which led to his exit.

After three days of silence, Zara eventually issued a crushing statement saying she’d previously been too ‘scared’ to come forward and share her experience with Graziano.

 ‘I was scared about public backlash, I was scared about my future, I was scared of victim shaming,’ she said, adding there are videos which are ‘incredibly distressing to watch’.

During their time on Strictly, Zara made several digs at Graziano, which on the surface appeared to be just playful banter.

He once shared a video on his socials of her napping in the training room, implying she wasn’t pulling her weight. She quickly hit back to say she’s done ‘double the workload’ of her pro partner.

In another video, Zara claimed Graziano had compared her to a camel, adding audio from an episode of The Kardashians when Kourtney and Khloe were arguing.

I remember watching the videos at the time and thinking how well they seemed to gel. They seemed so natural, like bickering siblings.

Reading her comments back now though, it’s horrifying to think behind the social media posts could have been genuine pain or even a cry for help.

Just weeks before the next cast will be announced, the BBC has been forced to ensure a production member will be present ‘during training rehearsals at all times’.

There will also be a celebrity welfare Producer and professional dancer welfare producer on hand for the contestants to have a clear point of contact should they feel uncomfortable at any stage of the process.

But according to Reverend Richard Coles, who competed on Strictly in 2017, he’s spoken to several former contestants and professionals who have said they’re not surprised by the allegations which have only just come to light.

‘I remember somebody who worked on the show for years and years telling me, saying, Strictly is a wonderful show with a dark heart. And I never really understood what that meant, but perhaps one of the things that meant is what you don’t see, which is how intensely competitive it is,’ he told Times Radio.

So far, only two contestants have made formal complaints and both competed as recently as 2023.

If this level of extreme behaviour is well known among so many people who work or have worked on Strictly, then why has it taken this long for anyone to speak out? How many more similar accusations are still threatening to come out?

No wonder Zara felt scared to complain if there could be such an openly toxic culture at play behind-the-scenes of such a powerful production.

Less than a week after Graziano’s departure, there are reports of an investigation into a third Strictly pro who at the time of writing is yet to be named.

Of course, we can only speculate for now but one bad egg in such a tightly knit production is a problem; two is hugely concerning but three out of 15 professionals being accused of abusive behaviour is a culture that has been running wild for too long.

I want to enjoy the next Strictly like I would any other series. It’s the perfect way to round out the year and one of the few times I can share genuine enthusiasm with several family members.

But I don’t know how any of us will honestly be able to relax and share the same excitement as we normally would knowing the cast can’t be left alone for a second because bosses can’t trust there won’t be abusive behaviour taking place if they leave the room.

Yes, dancing is the beating heart of Strictly. But the journey and bond between a celebrity contestant and their professional partner is equally moving and a huge reason I adore it so much.

Sadly, I can’t imagine enjoying it knowing the illusion of past friendships hasn’t only been shattered, it was potentially masking a dark underbelly going on behind-the-scenes.

Is it time to pull the plug on Strictly? No, absolutely not. Even Zara said in her statement that Strictly was ‘everything I could have dreamt of’. 

But with the launch of a new series – the 20th anniversary – arriving so soon after an investigation is launched into the conduct of its cast, it does feel like at the very least the BBC needs to hit pause rather than plaster Strictly all over our screens again pretending everything is hunky-dory. 

Carrying on as normal as if there’s nothing to be alarmed about is taking its fans for fools. I don’t know the extent of the problem, but surely until this investigation is completely wrapped up, neither does the BBC. 

And while, yes, those steps taken to ensure the safety of contestants in the upcoming series are paramount and welcomed, the show needs a revamp bigger than producers monitoring training. 

They have come so late in the day and they are not enough to convince me that Strictly is back to being the harmless 90 or so minutes of unbridled joy that is key to its success – and it won’t be enough for many fans who feel betrayed by the allegations, too.

Don’t forget, the same people that have come forward so far were the same ones who were forced to film those playful VTs, knowing they didn’t tell the full story.

My solution? Let Strictly resolve its troubled environment to give the audience time to trust it again.

In the meantime, bring back Fame Academy.