July 28th 2024.
Laila Rouass, a former contestant on Strictly Come Dancing, recently spoke out about a remark made by her former partner, Anton Du Beke, which she felt was necessary to address. In her statement, Laila also expressed her frustration with the recent "witch-hunts" surrounding the show.
The popular BBC dance program has been making headlines after launching an investigation into the behavior of two Italian professional dancers, Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima, during rehearsals. Both dancers were subsequently let go from the show, with actress Amanda Abbington making allegations of controlling behavior against Giovanni, which he has denied. It was also revealed that Graziano had allegedly "hit and kicked" his partner, reality TV star Zara McDermott, and he has since expressed deep regret for his past actions.
In addition to these developments, comments made by current Strictly judge Anton Du Beke about his former partner, Laila Rouass, resurfaced 15 years after they competed together on the show. These comments, which were derogatory towards people of Pakistani origin, resulted in Anton publicly apologizing at the time. However, Laila felt it was necessary to speak out again following recent false accusations, online abuse, and harassment towards her and her family.
Laila shared that she was ecstatic to be offered the opportunity to compete on Strictly and was thrilled to be paired with Anton, whom she trusted. She also explained that the show demanded a lot of time and energy, with rehearsals taking place seven days a week for six to seven hours a day. However, she emphasized that at no point did she feel pressured by Anton or the producers to add more time to their rehearsals.
Unfortunately, Laila's time on the show was marred by a few incidents, some of which were discussed in the press at the time. She addressed these incidents, stating that Anton had used derogatory words towards her, which she found unacceptable. However, she also made it clear that she does not believe Anton is racist or Islamophobic and would have refused to dance with him if she believed otherwise.
Laila also stressed that apart from the mentioned incident, she did not experience any physical, emotional, sexual, or verbal abuse from Anton. She described him as generous, patient, and hardworking throughout their time together. However, she also paid tribute to other contestants who have bravely spoken out about their experiences of maltreatment on the show.
She clarified that she decided to speak out to ensure that the focus remains on the serious and disturbing allegations made by other contestants, which must be addressed and investigated. Laila also expressed her concern for Anton's livelihood, reputation, and credibility, stating that it would be morally wrong to allow the speculation about him to continue.
In conclusion, Laila emphasized the importance of having honest and sometimes uncomfortable conversations in order to learn and grow. She hopes that by sharing her experience, it will encourage others to speak out and ensure that the focus remains on those who have been victims of abuse on the show. It is important to address these issues and not let them be swept under the rug.
Laila Rouass, a former contestant on Strictly Come Dancing, has recently spoken out about a remark made by her former partner Anton Du Beke. She also addressed the ongoing controversy surrounding the show and the behavior of some of its participants. Laila felt it was necessary to share her perspective and address the false accusations and online harassment that she and her family have faced.
She reflected on her time on the show, saying that she was ecstatic to have the opportunity to compete and knew she was in safe hands with Anton as her partner. Rehearsals were intense, with the pair practicing for seven days a week for six to seven hours a day. However, Laila made it clear that at no point did she feel pressured by Anton or the producers to add more time to their rehearsals.
Unfortunately, Laila's experience on the show was marred by a few incidents, some of which were discussed in the press at the time. She revealed that Anton had used derogatory words, which she found unacceptable. However, she also made it clear that she did not believe Anton to be racist or Islamophobic, and she accepted his public apology. She stated that if she believed he was, she would have refused to dance with him.
Laila stressed that, apart from the one incident that was dealt with, she was not physically, emotionally, sexually, or verbally abused by Anton. She described him as generous, patient, and hardworking. She also acknowledged the bravery of other contestants who have come forward with their own stories of mistreatment on the show and stated that their stories should be the focus of attention.
The actress added that she did not want to take the focus away from the serious and disturbing allegations made by other contestants. She emphasized the importance of addressing and investigating these allegations. However, she also felt it was necessary to speak out and clarify the situation with Anton, as she did not want him to lose his livelihood and reputation over an incident that happened 15 years ago and has not been repeated.
Laila concluded her statement by emphasizing the importance of open and honest communication, even if it means having uncomfortable conversations. She believes that it is necessary to learn and grow from these experiences. She also expressed her hope that her statement would put an end to the speculation and guesswork surrounding Anton and allow everyone to move forward.
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