Strictly Come Dancing has faced a tumultuous few months following allegations of bullying, harassment, and physical aggression towards contestants. Actress Amanda Abbington made a complaint against her dance partner, Giovanni Pernice, in 2023, which was later upheld by the BBC in 2024. Other former celebrities have also come forward with their experiences, including Zara McDermott and paralympian Will Bayley. The BBC has introduced new duty of care measures, but questions have been raised over why it took a year to conclude the investigation into Abbington’s complaints.
Despite the controversy, the show remains one of the biggest on TV, but nearly a million fewer people tuned in for the launch show this year than last. The BBC’s chief content officer, Charlotte Moore, defended the show’s ratings, saying that people watch Strictly in different ways, and that she was “really, really happy with the way it’s going.” However, some fans have expressed their dismay, with one saying they would “never watch it again.”
Strictly’s co-creator and first executive producer, Karen Smith, warned critics to “be careful,” saying, “it would be a shame if it was picked apart to death and was allowed to die.” The show is the jewel in the BBC’s crown, and it remains to be seen whether the allegations and investigations will continue to cast a shadow on the current series and into the future.
The show’s contestants this year have tried to draw a line and move on from the controversy. Toyah Willcox said the Strictly team had done everything to make this series a good experience, while former Love Islander Tasha Ghouri said it was “about moving forward.” DIY SOS presenter Nick Knowles expressed the importance of listening to complaints.
Strictly has been running for 20 years and, according to some, has been scandal-free for the most part. However, TV critic Scott Bryan called the controversy a “damaging story,” adding that viewers care whether everyone on television has as good an experience as the show suggests. For now, the show goes on, and the BBC will be hoping the report draws a line under a challenging few months
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