Stars speak out as scandal engulfs TV show

One of the UK’s most popular TV shows is in crisis, as two female celebs who’ve taken part speak out about a toxic culture behind the scenes.

Popular UK dance contest show Strictly Come Dancing has been engulfed in scandal, as celebrity contestants speak out about what they say is a toxic culture behind the scenes.

Strictly is the UK’s version of Dancing with the Stars, and operates in the same manner: Each season, a new group of celebrities join the show, where each are paired with a professional ballroom dancer where they enter gruelling rehearsals to perform advanced dance routines each week.

The controversy currently surrounding the show has seen one of those ballroom dancers flee to Sicily after he was dramatically axed for his alleged misbehaviour.

Star speaks out: ‘Sexual humiliation’

Actress Amanda Abbington appeared as a contestant on last year’s season of Strictly, but mysteriously dropped out of the show six weeks into the competition. It was later reported that her decision to leave was down to disagreements with dance partner Giovanni Pernice over his training methods.

Abbington spoke about her allegations to Channel 4 journalist Krishnan-Guru Murthy in an emotional new TV interview. He mentioned he’d heard rumours that there had been “humiliating behaviour of a sexual nature” during rehearsals.

“Yeah. I mean, you know, one of the many things,” she said, choking back tears.

Actress Amanda Abbington speaks out.

Amanda with her dance partner Giovanni Pernice before she dropped out of the show.

“It was unnecessary and when stuff was getting thrown at me I’d shut down because I’ve been in abusive situations before in the past so I recognised the red flags, so I’d shut down and wouldn’t be able to do it because I felt attacked - not literally attacked,” she continued.

Abbington also claimed she wasn’t the first person to speak out about problems behind the scenes.

“If it had just been me coming out saying all this stuff, I can understand why people go, ‘Oh God’, but there were five or six other people previously to me who had the same experience.”

Abbington also claimed that the BBC would have at least 50 hours of rehearsal footage of she and Pernice together, some of which she said would likely show his alleged misbehaviour.

In a statement, Giovanni Pernice’s spokesperson said: “We are co-operating fully with the BBC’s review process. All parties have been asked to respect this process and to not speak to the media before it concludes.”

Dancer flees UK after ‘kicking’ celeb

Graziano Di Prima and his celeb partner last season, Zara McDermott.

McDermott said she was “scared about public backlash” if she spoke out. Picture: Getty

Another dancer on the show – Graziano Di Prima – has also been under scrutiny due to his alleged behaviour towards the celeb he was paired with last season, UK reality star Zara McDermott.

Di Prima was shown on video “kicking” McDermott during a rehearsal, and was later sacked by the BBC following an investigation into the incident

He now lives in Sicily and reportedly works on a farm, with his representative, Mark Borkowski, telling the media: “There is never a time when kicking, or any sense of that is right, and he knows that. He knows he’s made a mistake. He apologised at the time.”

In a statement released after Graziano’s sacking, Zara said: “Reports have been made about my treatment on the show and there were witnesses to some events, as well as videos of particular incidents which are incredibly distressing to watch.

Strictly Come Dancing has been airing for 20 years. Picture: Guy Levy

“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,” she said.

“But after a lot of conversations with those I love, I’ve gained the strength to face these fears, and when I was asked to speak to the BBC, I spoke candidly about my time on the show.”

Strictly Come Dancing has been airing annually since 2004.

New series usually start in September of each year – as yet, there is no word on who will be taking part in what will be a milestone season for the show, marking its 20th year on air.