Strictly in crisis as show ‘struggling to sign female celebrities’ after Zara McDermott and Amanda Abbington complaints
STRICTLY Come Dancing is in crisis as bosses struggle to sign female celebrities after the Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima scandals, reports claim.
The hit BBC show has been rocked by the two Italian dancers’ conduct in the rehearsal room.
Bosses have taken drastic action to protect competitors after Graziano, 30, was axed for allegedly spitting at and kicking Zara in gruelling training sessions.
Giovanni, 33, was investigated after allegedly working Amanda so hard in rehearsals that she was diagnosed with mild post-traumatic stress disorder. He subsequently quit the show.
New measures introduced include a production team member in rehearsal rooms at all times and increased welfare support.
The fallout from the two incidents has seemingly made famous women hesitant to take part.
One TV executive told the Mail: “Usually it is the women who are more keen. Not only is it an opportunity to get dressed up but appearing on Strictly is also much more fortuitous for females’ careers than men’s.
“But word has got around that it isn’t exactly a walk in the park, so getting them has a been a lot more challenging.
“There have been many conversations about how this is dealt with but the immediate problem is this year’s cast… There has been lots of swearing and frustration.”
Last night we revealed a third pro dancer has been identified as a “person of interest” amid the probe into Strictly.
Insiders said the name of the male dancer, who is no longer part of the BBC show, had been given to lawyers Carter Ruck.
A source said: “A professional’s name has come up, alongside Giovanni and Graziano.
“He is no longer part of the show but he has been named as a person of interest. Conversations are ongoing and there are more people who need to be spoken to.
“A dossier is being compiled which will be handed over to the BBC.
“What is becoming clear is that there appears to be a more widespread issue over the conduct of some of the professionals in training.
“And the more people who come forward, the clearer the picture is becoming.”
It came as Zara, 27, yesterday spoke out about her time on Strictly.
In a statement on Instagram, she said it was a “dream come true” being on the show but that her “experience inside the training room was very different”.
Zara said: “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.
“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.”
She added seeing video footage of “particular incidents“ was “distressing”.
Rumoured Strictly 2024 line-up so far...
Chris McCausland – Comedian, 47
GK Barry – YouTube star, 24
Dave Fishwick – Businessman and TV star, 53
Martin Roberts – TV presenter, 60
Danny Cipriani – Rugby ace, 36
Roman Kemp – TV and radio presenter, 31
Hannah Waddingham – Actress, 49
Helen Worth – Actress, 73