Strictly Come Dancing has been hit by a number of scandals over the last year, and now the under-fire BBC series is losing Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman as hosts
Strictly Come Dancing has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons over recent years, and the news hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman are set to exit at the end of this year’s series just adds to the tumult.
Amid all the scandal and chaos plaguing the star-studded show, Tess and Claudia had acted as a steady constant and steered the ship through some tricky moments.
Strictly has been dogged by controversy since 2023 as bosses remain resolute in their efforts to restore their reputation. From professional misconduct allegations to a shocking drug controversy and an arrest, the BBC Saturday night favourite may be enduring its most challenging year to date.
READ MORE: Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman leave Strictly LIVE: Full statements as pair quitREAD MORE: Five telling clues Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman were planning to quit Strictly
Drug controversy
Over the summer, it emerged that the BBC summoned police after lawyers launched an investigation into allegations that two of its stars had consumed cocaine. They recruited the expertise of leading legal firm Pinsent Masons to probe recent drug claims.
Former contestants, professional dancers and crew members have been asked to meet with solicitors to express any concerns they might have experienced.
Subsequently, it was confirmed that the allegations had been referred to police, as the Metropolitan Police released a statement to the Mirror. They said: “On Tuesday, 12 August, the Metropolitan Police received an allegation about drug-related offences.
“Police are assessing the information, and further enquiries are taking place to establish whether there is evidence of a criminal offence being committed. We won’t be commenting further at this time.”
In August, a BBC spokesperson stated: “We have clear protocols and policies in place for dealing with any serious complaint raised with us. We would always encourage people to speak to us if they have concerns. It would not be appropriate for us to comment further.”
Rumours are swirling that Strictly bosses have offered their stars the opportunity for rehab. There’s also talk of random drug tests being introduced on the upcoming tours, which are notorious for their after-parties.
Rape allegation
Just weeks before the new series kicked off in September, it was confirmed that a Strictly star has been arrested on suspicion of rape. The male suspect, who remains unnamed due to legal reasons, is also reportedly under police investigation over allegations of “non-consensual intimate image abuse”.
A Met Police spokesman announced: “On Friday, August 22, officers arrested a man on suspicion of rape and non-consensual intimate image abuse.
“This is a joint investigation… and while the investigation is in its early stages, we urge anyone with any information to come forward to us. The arrest follows a third party allegation of sexual and drug-related offences. Enquiries are ongoing.”
A spokesperson for the BBC told The Mirror: “It would not be appropriate to comment on an ongoing police investigation.” There is no suggestion that the allegation is linked to the current series of Strictly Come Dancing.
Claims of misconduct
Numerous reports of misconduct allegations have been made throughout recent seasons of Strictly, leading to several dismissals. In 2023, professional dancer Giovanni Pernice was given his marching orders following accusations made by his celebrity partner Amanda Abbington.
Amanda accused him of “bullying” and “aggressive behaviour,” but Giovanni has consistently denied any “abusive or threatening behaviour”. Some complaints against him were upheld, but he was cleared of the most serious ones after a lengthy investigation.
In the same series, dancer Graziano Di Prima was dismissed over allegations of misconduct toward his partner Zara McDermott during rehearsals. BBC bosses showed him the door amid claims he “hit, spat at and kicked” his celebrity dance partner.
Last year, Welsh opera singer Wynne Evans was booted off the UK tour after being accused of making inappropriate comments. The 2024 celebrity contestant was caught on camera making a controversial “spit roast” remark during the Strictly live tour.
Although Wynne later clarified that the term referred to fellow contestant Jamie Borthwick and not presenter Janette Manrara as initially reported, he claimed he was forced to apologise and has since parted ways with BBC Radio Wales.
Claudia and Tess quit
And to add to the misery for Strictly bosses, Claudia and Tess have now decided they’ve had enough. In a joint statement shared on Instagram on Thursday, the co-hosts, who have fronted the series together since 2014, said they would be leaving the show together at the end of the current series.
“We have loved working as a duo and hosting Strictly has been an absolute dream,” they said. “We were always going to leave together and now feels like the right time.
“We will have the greatest rest of this amazing series and we just want to say an enormous thank you to the BBC and to every single person who works on the show.
“They’re the most brilliant team and we’ll miss them every day. We will cry when we say the last “keep dancing” but we will continue to say it to each other. Just possibly in tracksuit bottoms at home while holding some pizza.”
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