The BBC’s director general has issued an apology following the allegations of “gross misconduct” against two former professional dancers on Strictly Come Dancing .
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The beloved reality dance competition — which operates on the same premise as the U.S.’ Dancing With the Stars — is a staple of British television, but the broadcaster last week unveiled new welfare precautions after complaints were made about two dancers.
Strictly fan-favorites Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima will not return for this year’s series, as the channel pledged two new dedicated welfare producers as part of a string of extra measures on set.
The new position follows an Instagram statement from reality star Zara McDermott, who was assigned Di Prima as her dance partner in last year’s series. She described watching videos back of her time on the show as “incredibly distressing.” Sherlock ‘s Amanda Abbington, who left the show early in October, accused Pernice of “abusive, cruel and mean” behavior during her time on Strictly .
Di Prima apologized and said he “deeply regrets” his actions. “My intense passion and determination to win might have affected my training regime,” the 30-year-old Italian added. Pernice, meanwhile, has refuted the claims against him, telling supporters: “I will be back.”
As the broadcaster’s annual report was released on Tuesday, BBC chief Tim Davie took the opportunity to comment on the fallout. “I’m very sorry that anyone has had an experience on Strictly that hasn’t been wholly positive, I think that is something we do reflect on, and I’m sorry about that.” He described feeling “disappointed” upon hearing of the accusations.
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“If someone feels there was something wrong or they want to talk about their experience, then of course we want them to raise that with us. And be in no doubt, we will take it seriously, listen and deal with it as appropriate. So I hope that anyone who does want to talk to us, feels they can,” he continued. “It is vital, of course, that we have the right protocols and structures in place for the show. We keep these under review and we confirmed changes to these last week. It is essential these are right for everyone.”
Though the BBC exec did not refer to any specific competitors or employees, he spoke about “a degree of competitiveness, hard work and will to do well” that will run alongside the entertaining element of a show like Strictly . “That’s part of what makes this show,” Davie said. “But there are limits and the line should never be crossed. We will never tolerate unacceptable behavior of any kind.”
McDermott, who rose to prominence on ITV2’s Love Island and then E4’s Made in Chelsea , said she was “scared of public backlash and victim shaming” when asked to talk about her time on Strictly . “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.”
In addition to a production team member being present during rehearsals, new measures include a celebrity welfare producer and a professional dancer welfare producer, as well as further training for the production team and crew.
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