Scandalously Come Dancing may be a greater identify for the British actuality competitors that gave rise to the U.S. TV present Dancing With the Stars and different worldwide variations. Over the previous twenty years, BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing has landed in controversy a number of occasions, and now the BBC is launching an inquiry into allegations of drug use on set. Right here’s a rundown of the dangerous press DTWS’ forbearer has accrued.
2008: Voting system malfunction
The BBC needed to ship all three semi-finalists of Strictly Collection 6 by to the ultimate in 2008 after mistakenly permitting viewers to vote for Holby Metropolis actor Tom Chambers, although any variety of factors Chambers would have obtained from the general public vote wouldn’t have been sufficient to avoid wasting him from the last-chance dance-off. And since viewers paid to vote, any votes for Chambers — who, it seems, went on to win that sequence — could be a waste of cash, per The Guardian. The BBC supplied viewers refunds for his or her funds, and media regulator Ofcom decreed that the error was an “oversight” that the community had taken “acceptable steps” to repair, The Guardian later reported.
2009: Accusations of ageism
In 2009, the BBC changed then-66-year-old Strictly choose Arlene Phillips with then-30-year-old Alesha Dixon, winner of the present’s fifth sequence. That judging-panel shakeup spurred accusations of ageism, however a spokesperson for the community denied age had something to do with the choice, per Digital Spy. Hundreds of viewers despatched complaints to the BBC about Dixon’s casting, and lots of extra complained about her judging means on the present’s message board, in response to BBC Information.
2015: Alleged anti-gay snub
The casting course of for Strictly Collection 13 turned contentious when TV presenter C. J. de Mooi claimed he was handed over for a spot within the competitors — in favor of Jeremy Vine, his costar on the quiz present Eggheads — as a result of he wished a male accomplice. The BBC denied ever contemplating de Mooi for the present, in response to PinkNews. But it surely didn’t assist the state of affairs {that a} BBC spokesperson instructed the Each day Mirror that Strictly was “a household present” and that the community had “chosen the standard format of mixed-sex {couples}.” The present didn’t get its first same-sex pairing till 5 years later.
2024: Professional dancer’s exit after allegations of abusive habits
In 2024, Giovanni Pernice left his publish as a professional dancer on Strictly after former accomplice Amanda Abbington accused him of abusive habits and stop the present herself, per Deadline. Pernice denied Abbington’s claims, rejecting “any suggestion of abusive or threatening habits,” in response to BBC Information. BBC’s inside investigation upheld six of the 16 allegations towards him, the Each day Mirror reported.
2024: One other professional’s exit following “distressing” coaching with accomplice
Simply weeks later, Strictly professional dancer Graziano Di Prima confirmed he, too, was leaving the present, saying he “deeply remorse[ted]” the inciting occasions and admitting his “intense ardour and dedication to win may need affected [his] coaching regime,” per BBC Information. Later, his former dancing accomplice Zara McDermott mentioned she had experiences within the Strictly coaching room that she discovered “extremely distressing” to rewatch, as BBC Information reported individually. The BBC ultimately introduced that manufacturing workers members would chaperone all future Strictly dance rehearsals.
2025: Contestant’s departure over sexual feedback
A sequence of incidents led to former Strictly contestant Wynne Evans getting axed from the present’s reside tour in 2025, in response to the Each day Specific. One was a Strictly clip through which professional dancer Katya Jones was seen pushing Evans’ hand from round her waist, although he instructed The Solar (per Specific) that viral second was a “physique language experiment.” The second was the sexualized “spit-roast” remark that the Welsh opera singer allegedly directed towards professional dancer Janette Manrara, although he claimed he was really referring to fellow competitor Jamie Borthwick — particularly, Borthwick’s flexibility. And the third was a video through which Wynne despatched a intercourse toy to Borthwick in what the previous known as a “silly joke that backfired.”
2025: Allegations of drug use on set
In 2025, The Solar on Sunday reported that allegations of drug use on Strictly appeared in a authorized submission a regulation agency submitted to the BBC in March on behalf of the aforementioned Evans. The tabloid additionally reported that Strictly stars’ alleged cocaine use was a typical speaking level on the present and that different folks had reported related allegations to the BBC. The BBC launched an investigation into the matter, the outcomes of that are nonetheless pending as of the time of this writing.
