Following the concerning claims about Strictly Come Dancing professionals Graziano Di Prima and Giovanni Pernice, we asked Mirror readers if they thought the BBC One show has been tainted
The Strictly Come Dancing celebrities will finally take to the ballroom this weekend to perform their Week One routines – and after asking if the recent scandals have tarnished the BBC One show, it seems Mirror readers are divided on the issue.
The 15 star-studded contestants were paired up with their professional partners last week, but two dancers were noticeably missing from the established line-up – Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima. It comes after Giovanni left the show following allegations of “bullying” and “aggressive behaviour” from his 2023 partner Amanda Abbington, which the Italian dancer has vehemently denied.
During an interview on Lorraine, Amanda said: “It was bullying and I put up with it for five weeks. It started very early on and when it started to happen I shut down because I recognised those red flags.” Amanda insisted that she’d tried to warn bosses about the situation, but her complaints were quietly dismissed.
She said: “I’ve got texts to the producer on the third day saying ‘This is awful, he hates me, I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.'” While Giovanni has denied any wrongdoing and vowed to clear his name, the BBC has launched an investigation and the findings are yet to be published – but general director Tim Davie revealed that the probe is nearing its conclusion.
A source confided to The Sun on Sunday: “Whatever the outcome of the inquiry, Amanda has no regrets. She knows what went on in that rehearsal room. And she knows it was unacceptable. Amanda has given the BBC all the information she can to help them with the investigation.”
Amid the scandal, the BBC announced it was introducing “additional steps to strengthen welfare and support” on the show moving forward. This will include having a production team member present in training room rehearsals “at all times”. This comes after Graziano was fired following allegations that he verbally and physically abused his dance partner Zara McDermott.
There was reportedly video footage of Graziano’s alleged behaviour towards Zara, which reduced those who’ve seen it “to tears”. The pro dancer is alleged to have kicked, spat and hit her. Graziano has since expressed that he “deeply regrets” what happened that led to his departure.
In an interview with BBC News, Graziano’s spokesperson Mark Borkowski dismissed the idea that this single incident was indicative of what transpired during “weeks and weeks of training” as “absolute rubbish”. The Italian dancer has since told the Mail on Sunday: “I wasn’t meaning to kick her.
“I’d never, never do that “My foot brushed her after I kicked the floor. Afterwards I hugged her and said I was sorry. There was no problem. We carried on.” Viewing figures for the 2024 launch show plummeted by one million compared to the previous year, and BBC executives are said to be “deeply worried” that the fans will stop watching as controversy continues to surround the show, reports the Daily Mail.
We asked Mirror readers if they think this year’s series of Strictly has been tainted by ten months of scandals- and 53 percent of voters said ‘No, it hasn’t’. Voicing their thoughts in the comments section, one person penned: “Strictly is good family entertainment, something now lacking in television.
“These dancers that are asked to teach are not professional teachers so there is bound to be conflicts. To avoid this, independent teachers should be involved.” A second agreed: “Strictly is a great show. Professional dancers have worked all the lives to get to perfection, and the last thing they need is a celeb who will not or cannot put the work in. I am frustrated!!!”
“It is very sad that you should think a great program is tarnished but one thing needs mentioning and that’s to remember it’s a very hard job these professionals dancers do and not only are they teaching routines they have to criticise to get the very best out of the celebrities. This program is brilliant,” added another.
A fourth shared: “I still enjoy Strictly. Just get rid of the bad apples.” Meanwhile, 44 percent believe it has been tarnished, as one person expressed: “It has definitely had its day after poor Gio and Graz. We won’t be watching.”
A second echoed: “I’m a ballroom and Latin American dancer but I do think it’s time it said goodbye. As for this particular incident there are always two sides to every story.” Another voiced: “It’s past its prime finish it now,” while a fourth penned: “Strictly is now past it’s sell by date and should be canned.”
Only three percent selected the option ‘Other’ in our poll. You can still vote in the poll HERE to have your say on the topic. Has this year’s series of Strictly been tainted by ten months of scandals? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
Please note that the poll is still live, so these results may change after the article has been published.
