August 7th 2024.
Several former employees of the popular show Strictly Come Dancing have come forward to speak about the negative and toxic work culture on set. The BBC recently launched an investigation into the behind-the-scenes atmosphere of the show and uncovered numerous stories of staff being mistreated and even screamed at by celebrity contestants.
Despite the show's upcoming 20th anniversary season, it has been plagued with scandal in recent months. Concerns were raised about the treatment of contestants such as Amanda Abbington and Zara McDermott, and allegations were made against several professional dancers. Amanda, who left the show after just five weeks, spoke out against her former dance partner Giovanni Pernice, describing his behavior as unnecessary, abusive, cruel, and mean. However, Giovanni has denied these claims and is looking forward to clearing his name. Another shocking incident involved Love Island star Zara being allegedly kicked and hit by professional dancer Graziano Di Prima, who subsequently quit the show.
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According to more celebrities, their experience on the show has not been a positive one. One former runner revealed that they were often shouted at and called stupid. BBC News spoke to 15 current and former staff members who shared their experiences of the show's toxic work environment. One former staff member, Oscar, joined the show at the age of 18 and was subjected to bullying behavior. He described feeling sick, unable to sleep or eat, and being shouted at by a celebrity contestant who flew into a rage over simple instructions.
Reflecting on his worst experience, Oscar recalled a celebrity contestant shouting and getting extremely close to his face, causing him to close his eyes to avoid being hit by their spit. This humiliating incident took place in front of everyone, leaving Oscar feeling awful and helpless. He also mentioned that staff members were not encouraged to raise issues and often felt powerless to do so.
Another former runner, Anika, described the work environment as exhausting and filled with a lot of shouting backstage. She also shared her experience of a male dancer, who has now left the show, treating people in an insane and disgusting manner. Anika said that his behavior towards women, including female dancers and junior staff, was chauvinistic and unacceptable. Other former runners revealed that senior staff, including producers, would often lose their tempers and create a hostile atmosphere on set. One staff member even said that the show was all about glitz and glamour, with no care for the well-being of those making it.
In response to these allegations, a BBC Studios spokesperson stated that they do not recognize these claims and that hundreds of production personnel who have worked on the show over the past 20 years would also disagree. They emphasized that the welfare and safety of their crew is their utmost priority, and they have thorough processes in place to manage any issues that arise. The spokesperson also mentioned the BBC's industry-leading initiative, The Pledge, which encourages everyone on set to raise concerns about inappropriate behavior through various avenues, including an external third-party whistleblowing service.
BBC Director General Tim Davie recently issued an apology to anyone who had a negative experience on the show, stating that they take swift action when any issues are raised and have longstanding processes in place to manage them. He also assured that they will never tolerate any unacceptable behavior and that the line should never be crossed. Tim went on to say that he is focusing on delivering a successful season and apologizes to anyone who did not feel comfortable speaking out about their experience on set.
Despite the controversy, Strictly Come Dancing is set to return to the BBC later this year. If you have a story to share, you can contact the The Agency entertainment team via email, phone, or by visiting their Submit Stuff page. They would love to hear from you!
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