Strictly Come Dancing in huge shake-up as bosses reveal new addition to series in show first
THE BBC yesterday unveiled a new addition to Strictly Come Dancing so it is accessible for all audiences.
Live signing will be available for the first time on BBC iPlayer and the red button, alongside audio description and subtitling.
It comes as Love Island’s deaf star Tasha Ghouri joins the cast.
She has worked with the Department of Education to install British Sign Language as a GCSE subject.
Strictly’s new initiative will be available during the live Saturday night shows, the Sunday results shows, the launch episode, the Christmas special and the upcoming 20th anniversary programme.
Kate Phillips, Director of Unscripted at BBC said: “Strictly Come Dancing has always been at the forefront of inclusivity and representation and I’m delighted that our 20th anniversary series will be the most accessible yet for our audience.
“Introducing live signing, alongside audio description and subtitling, means that there are more options than ever for the whole audience to come together to experience the glitz and glamour of our Saturday and Sunday night shows.
“This is a great launchpad for our exciting new BSL season next year which will feature special programming and online resources shining a spotlight on the beautiful language of BSL.”
It comes as BBC boss Charlotte Moore gave a greater insight into the new safety measures put in place by the dance show in the wake of the Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima scandals.
Speaking at the Edinburgh TV Festival, she revealed that separate welfare officers had been provided for celebrities and dancers to ensure full confidentiality should any complaints arise.
She said: “This year because of the recent concerns that people have had, we have made sure that there is a welfare producer not just across the whole show but there’s one for the dancers, there’s one for the celebrities.”
She added: “We have made sure that people feel there really is a way for them to talk and come out about any concerns.
“Let’s just put it in perspective this is a show that has given so much joy to the nation, to people taking part in it, frankly, as well as audiences. So it’s a really important show for us.
“I want to make sure that it’s a positive experience for everyone that takes part, from the crew, to the makeup artists, to the celebrities, to the dancers. It needs to be a positive experience.”
Both dancers have been accused of “bullying” backstage by their female celebrity partners.
Strictly's full scandal so far
Strictly Come Dancing's scandal has been growing over the past few months, with several major players speaking out about what went on. Here are the key moments of what's happened so far
16th May: Giovanni Pernice sensationally quits Strictly Come Dancing after nine years on the show.
17th May: Giovanni becomes the centre of an official investigation after three former partners – believed to be Amanda Abbington, Laura Whitmore and Ranvir Singh – make complaints to the BBC.
16th June: Giovanni releases an official statement vowing to clear his name and denies any wrongdoing.
8th July: Strictly confirms Aljaz Skorjanec will return to the series, replacing Giovanni, after initially quitting the show two years ago.
10th July: Amanda Abbington launches fresh legal proceedings to get the rehearsal footage from her time with Giovanni, after allegedly he refused to release the videos.
13th July: Graziano Di Prima is axed from Strictly for “gross misconduct” after footage of his treatment of Zara McDermott is brought to the attention of the BBC.
Graziano quickly broke his silence, apologising for his behaviour in a statement and saying he “deeply regrets it”, adding his “intense passion and determination to win might have affected his training regime.”
15th July: Strictly bosses implement new duty of care protocols, including having a chaperone present throughout all rehearsals.
16th July: Zara McDermott speaks out publicly for first time. She states while the production team were “amazing to work with”, she found the rehearsal room “completely different”, confirming there’s footage of “certain situations”.
19th July: Anton Du Beke is put under the spotlight for his “1970s attitude” and treatment of female celeb stars, particularly after allegedly referring to 2009 partner Laila Rouass as a “p***” after getting a spray tan.
21st July: Paralympian Will Bayley, who has limb condition arthrogryposis, revealed he was encouraged to leap from a table during a dance routine, despite fears. The stunt caused an injury that forced him to withdraw from the show.
22nd July: MasterChef’s Gregg Wallace admits he broke down in tears and got a nasty stress rash on his face during his time on Strictly in 2014.
22nd July: Despite ongoing issues, the Strictly professional cast begin rehearsals for this year’s series.
23rd July: Celebrity agent Melanie Blake claims she was sexually assaulted by an unnamed pro dancer while backstage on the show, and claims she witnessed ageism, rudeness and a rough treatment to the point of injury.
23rd July: Strictly is forced to beef up security after ‘an intruder scales the wall of the rehearsal studio’.
23rd July: BBC boss Tim Davie breaks his silence on the ongoing allegations against Strictly, saying he is ‘deeply sorry’, adding: “Hundreds of people, be they pros, contestants or crew have been part of it and had a brilliant experience.
“At the same time if someone thinks there was something wrong or they want to talk about their experience then of course we want them to raise that with us. Be in no doubt we will take it seriously, listen and deal with it as appropriate.”
24th July: Strictly 2023 star Krishnan Guru-Murthy holds a bombshell interview with Amanda Abbington on Channel 4 news, where she claims she was bullied, with some of the ‘humilation being of a sexual nature’.
27th July: Laura Whitmore releases a statement regarding her Strictly experience, saying “I thought my experience was specific to me but I’ve since learned I was wrong”.
She adds she is not part of the official complaint, but has come forward to support Amanda with the BBC, alongside others.
28th July: Laila Rouass speaks out against the accusations regarding Anton Du Beke, saying she “never felt pressured” by him and “personally insisted on six to seven hours training a day”.
August 10: Graziano breaks his silence on his Strictly axe, saying “these vile, false allegations have ruined my life.”
He also told of the “shocking” end to his friendship with Zara McDermott.