Full list of claims against Strictly Come Dancing professionals as BBC show is plunged into crisis with sea of bullying allegations and abuse probe

Strictly Come Dancing has been plunged into chaos in recent weeks as a number of allegations of abuse from professionals have come to light.

The scandal erupted when actress Amanda Abbington quit the show last year before claiming that her partner Giovanni Pernice was abusive towards her – later leaving the show.

Soon after it emerged that Graziano Di Prima had been sacked for ‘kicking’ his partner Love Island star Zara McDermott.

Next an unnamed female Strictly dancer was brought into the scandal after it was reported that they screamed in their male partner’s face and berated him off-camera.

And on Monday two other professionals – Ola Jordan and Janette Manrara – were brought into the drama as the show was branded ‘fatally tarnished’ by one insider.

Here MailOnline takes a look at all the claims made against Strictly professionals: 

Giovanni Pernice 

Amanda quit the show last year before claiming that her partner Giovanni was abusive towards her. He later left the show after vehemently denying all claims.

Amanda, 50, abruptly left the BBC show citing ‘personal issues’ and hasn’t been seen on screen since, even quitting social media last month in the wake of her former dance partner’s sacking.

Giovanni, 33, was suspended while a BBC probe is underway over allegations made by Amanda and two other former celebrity partners. 

Speaking in her first interview over the weekend since quitting Strictly in October, Amanda said Giovanni’s behaviour was ‘unnecessary.’

In an interview with The Sun, Amanda said: ‘I found Giovanni’s behaviour unnecessary, abusive, cruel and mean. I couldn’t sit back and let him do that to other people.’

Amanda, 50, abruptly left the BBC show citing ‘personal issues’ and hasn’t been seen on screen since, even quitting social media last month in the wake of her former dance partner’s sacking 

Giovanni, 33, was suspended while a BBC probe is underway over allegations made by Amanda and two other former celebrity partners 

She continued: ‘I had to think long and hard about making a complaint because I knew the backlash I would get. But I would not have been able to live with myself for future people going on that show.’ 

‘It’s insane what has happened to me, with the death threats and backlash. I know the BBC have known about his behaviour for years, people had complained about him and flagged his behaviour to producers in the past and nothing was done. It wasn’t an isolated experience with me. I should never ever have danced with him.’ 

MailOnline contacted the BBC and Giovanni’s representative for comment. 

Sources previously claimed Amanda, Ranvir Singh and Laura Whitmore had an ’emotional summit’ where they ‘compared notes’ about their time working with Giovanni on the show.

Amanda quit Strictly due to ‘personal reasons’ before reports she had demanded footage of their rehearsals after the experience in the competition left her with PTSD.

Meanwhile Ranvir complained about Giovanni to producers back in 2020, during their time on the show, while Laura said she ‘cried every day’ and felt ‘uncomfortable’ while dancing with him in 2016. 

The BBC are currently believed to be scouring through nine years of Strictly footage to confirm or deny claims from three celebrities.

It is claimed three past contestants are compiling dossiers to hand to their £700-an-hour lawyers before sending it to BBC bosses. 

Giovanni is working with combative legal firm Schillings and is expected to put forward transcripts to prove he acted fairly. 

A source close to the trio previously told MailOnline: ‘They are very unhappy with the way the BBC are handling this.

Sources previously claimed Amanda, Ranvir Singh and Laura Whitmore had an ’emotional summit’ where they ‘compared notes’ about their time working with Giovanni on the show (Laura and Giovanni pictured)

Ranvir (seen) complained about Giovanni to producers back in 2020, during their time on the show 

‘It’s one thing saying they are standing by him, but they feel as if Giovanni is being promoted and pushed centre stage in a bid to make them go away and keep quiet. It’s a kick in the teeth.

‘One of the reasons they wanted to meet up was to try and work on a way forward because they have no intention of just backing down and letting this just fade away.

‘All three have been impacted in different ways by what happened and they’ve agreed to speak again about how best they can get something done about it because they are genuinely worried about want went on and the fact someone else could end up experiencing what they went through.

‘But right now there’s a feeling that Gio is pretty much untouchable – especially given he is so close to Anton who thinks the world of him and can’t believe the stuff he’s been hearing claimed about his mate.’ 

MailOnline contacted BBC for comment at the time. 

Graziano Di Prima

Fellow Italian dancer Graziano Di Prima was sacked from the programme earlier this month after he was accused of kicking and spitting at Zara McDermott. 

Strictly bosses then announced plans to introduce chaperones during training, and the appointment of two new welfare producers, after Graziano’s shock sacking from the show.

Love Island star Zara broke her silence on the scandal last week. 

She wrote on Instagram on Tuesday morning that while much of her time on Strictly ‘was everything I could have dreamt of’ inside the training room with Graziano there were ‘particular incidents which are incredibly distressing’.

‘I felt it was right that I post something regarding the recent media reports,’ Zara began. ‘Strictly is one of the most magical shows on TV and one that I dreamt of being on since I was a little girl.’ 

Fellow Italian dancer Graziano Di Prima was sacked from the programme earlier this month after he was accused of kicking and spitting at Zara McDermott 

Strictly bosses then announced plans to introduce chaperones during training, and the appointment of two new welfare producers, after Graziano’s shock sacking from the show 

‘When I was invited to be a contestant on the show it really was a childhood dream come true. I fully understood the level of commitment and hard work that Strictly was going to be and I dedicated everything to it.’

‘I am a resilient person and I was fully prepared to put in whatever it took.’ 

‘And so much of my Strictly experience was everything I could have dreamt of. The entire production team and everyone behind the scenes as well as my fellow contestants were so amazing to worth with.

‘However, my experience inside the training room was very different. Reports have been made about my treatment on the show and there were witnesses to some events, as well as videos of particular incidents which are incredible distressing to watch.

Zara explained that she didn’t report the incidents at the time as she was ‘scared’ of backlash. 

Instead it was junior production staff who came forward to share what they had witnessed as the investigation into pro dancer Giovanni was taking place.

‘I have wrested with the fear of opening up – I was scared about public backlash, I was scared about my future, I was scared of victim shaming,’ Zara wrote on Instagram.

‘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.

‘The culture within our society makes it difficult for people to speak up especially in a a world where social media opinions and voices are so loud. This is something I’ve seen through working with countless women on my documentaries.

Zara released a statement which stated that while much of her time on Strictly ‘was everything I could have dreamt of’ inside the training room there were ‘particular incidents which are incredibly distressing’ 

Addressing his exit from the show, a ‘devastated’ Di Prima wrote on Instagram over the weekend: ‘I deeply regret the events that led to my departure from Strictly’

‘I would like to thank the BBC and BBC Studios for their swift action and incredibly high level of support, as well as everyone who has reached out to me – it really truly means a lot. Love, always. Zara.’

More shocking details of Graziano ‘aggressive’ treatment of Zara have since been revealed. 

Speaking to The Sun, a source claimed the dancer got frighteningly angry at the former Love Island star.

They said: ‘Zara ran to the toilets and locked herself in. He chased after her and was screaming abuse. He was aggressive and called her nasty names. It was really scary.’ 

The source also claimed his aggressive outbursts could be heard through doors a she screamed at the 27-year-old.

Unnamed female professional

It is not just male dancers who are now facing allegations of abusive behaviour. 

Last week a celebrity who took part in the show claimed that a currently unnamed female Strictly dancer screamed in his face and berated him off-camera. 

The Daily Mirror reported that the household name’s allegations do not include physical abuse. 

A source said: ‘The man in question felt very much victimized by the behaviour of his Strictly partner.

‘He alleges that on several occasions she flew into a real fury when he couldn’t get the steps right, and on one occasion screamed full in his face. They rowed every single day.

It is not just male dancers who are now facing allegations of abusive behaviour. Last week a celebrity who took part in the show claimed that a currently unnamed female Strictly dancer screamed in his face and berated him off-camera

‘He was left upset, struggling to sleep, and feeling isolated in the process. But even worse, he felt totally unsupported by Strictly. When he suffered the setback, it was clear he was struggling, but he felt there was no duty of care. After leaving the show, he was not contacted again, even by phone.’ 

The source said he had been in a bad place and feared a public ­backlash if he spoke out.

They said: ‘The show had a serious impact on his life, and affected his ability to work long after he left the dance floor.’

But the source added of the partnership: ‘It wasn’t all bad, they did get on some of the time. It’s just there were some ­difficult moments.’

Ola Jordan

Steve Backshall complained to the BBC about his professional partner on Strictly Come Dancing Ola Jordan back in 2014 claiming she ‘bullied’ him.

The hardened explorer and presenter, now 51, – who has dived with Great White sharks and wrestled poisonous snakes in his career – lodged a complaint with the channel after struggling in gruelling practice sessions.

The bullying claims have reemerged during a time of crisis for the show amid various abuse scandals and a misconduct probe – with insiders now saying that the series is ‘fatally tarnished’.

Pro Graziano Di Prima, 30, was axed from the upcoming series over reports he verbally and physically abused his celebrity partner Zara McDermott, 27, during last year’s competition.

This came after another pro Giovanni Pernice, 33, was suspended from the show last month over claims of off-camera misconduct – which he denies – made by Amanda Abbington, 50, and two other former celeb partners.

And as far back as 2014 there were claims of bullying when Steve appeared on the show.

Steve Backshall complained to the BBC about his professional partner on Strictly Come Dancing Ola Jordan back in 2014 claiming she ‘bullied’ him 

As far back as 2014 there were claims of bullying when Steve appeared on the show. 

After he made the complaint the pair were assigned a chaperone to follow them around after he refused to be alone with the now 41-year-old Polish-born dancer. 

The programme’s bosses were forced to step in after he alleged that she had dented his confidence with her ‘rude and impatient’ manner.

A source close to the show explained at the time: ‘Steve is a very bouncy personality, up for any challenge, but Ola’s harsh treatment has flattened him and made him lose confidence.

‘She was very rude and impatient when he found it difficult to master the shapes for last Saturday’s Charleston.

‘Her choreography and tuition was so tough, Steve resorted to asking other people to show him what he had to do. 

‘Ola is a cold and very distant personality, who refuses to mix with Steve’s family and friends,’ the source added.

It is understood that Steve complained directly to one of the Strictly producers after their Halloween-themed Charleston.

Bosses then called Ola in for a meeting and agreed that she and Steve would be accompanied at all times while they remained in the competition.

At the time Steve told how he struggled with the physical demands of the series.

He told the Daily Mail he was unable to point the toes of his left foot because his ankle was fused in a near-fatal climbing accident in 2008.

The action star, who was once bitten by a caiman, a reptile similar to a crocodile, revealed he was in ‘constant pain’ during training and took painkillers every day, adding: ‘It has absolutely broken me. 

‘You are training all day long on hard wooden floors wearing dance shoes that have no give in them at all, and no cushioning. The impact travels straight all the way through my body and I’m just falling apart.’

The bullying claims have reemerged during a time of crisis for the show amid various abuse scandals and a misconduct probe – with insiders now saying that the show is ‘fatally tarnished’ 

After he made the complaint the pair were assigned a chaperone to follow them around after he refused to be alone with the now 41-year-old Polish-born dancer

He also complained that the constant training affected his social life, saying: ‘I’m actually a little bit disappointed about the fact I’m supposedly in this incredibly high-profile position and I haven’t even got a minute to see my oldest and dearest friends, let alone to go on a date.

‘So it’s been rubbish for that. My dance partner is very, very happily married, so there is certainly no chance of me getting involved like that. 

‘And outside of that, not a chance. I have had zero social life.’

A show insider said at the time: ‘Ola is a strict taskmaster. She sees real potential in Steve and thinks he could go the distance in the competition. 

‘She took the trophy with Chris Hollins and would love to win again – and with the mums’ and kids’ votes behind them, Steve is a real contender.’ 

A representative for Ola has been contacted by MailOnline for comment.  

James Jordan

It comes after last week Ola’s husband and fellow former pro on the show James furiously hit back after unearthed footage emerged of him telling his partner Georgina Bouzova he would ‘drag her across the floor and scream at her’ if she forgot her moves.

The ballroom dancer and choreographer, 46, slammed the BBC after the clip began doing the rounds again following the recent Giovanni and Graziano scandals – saying most of the footage ‘was not related to Georgina at all’.

The clip, which was filmed during the fourth series back in 2006, shows him rehearsing with actress Georgina.

He also says to her ‘kill you’ as he demands she stands on one leg and insists that unless she has physically broken a rib he doesn’t care what pain she is in. He is also seen throwing a chair across the training studio.

But he has since responded to the clip on his Instagram as he shared a raging statement saying that the footage was ‘edited for entertainment’ and was ‘highly produced and exaggerated’.

It comes after last week Ola’s husband and fellow former pro on the show James furiously hit back after unearthed footage emerged of him telling his partner Georgina Bouzova he would ‘drag her across the floor and scream at her’ 

The ballroom dancer and choreographer, 46, has slammed the BBC after the clip began doing the rounds again following the recent Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima scandals – saying most of the footage ‘was not related to Georgina at all’

He said there ‘is no comparison to be drawn between those awful allegations and the VT’ – while insisting none of his celebrity partners ever complained about him during his eight years on the show.

James penned in the caption to his post as he shared a snap dancing with Georgina: ‘For those of you who have seen the edited BBC VT of me training with Georgina 18 years ago – yes I had hair once!!

‘But I just wanted to reassure you that footage was shot and edited together by the BBC team for transmission on It Takes Two 18 years ago in specific ways for the purposes of ENTERTAINMENT. 

‘Many of the clips were not related to Georgina at all (they are not allowed to do that these days as it misrepresents what actually happened) but were included for the purpose of exaggeration. 

‘The BBC thought it would be fun to put this VT together in the way they did. You can see Georgina laughing about it in the studio and in the clips… And I have never received ANY complaints from any of my celebrity dance partners in the 8 years I was on the show. 

‘Obviously if I had genuinely upset anyone, that footage would NEVER have been allowed to be used in that way by the BBC themselves. The Producers loved to paint me as the bad guy and I played along…always a perfectionist …but I would never have deliberately upset anyone and pride myself on good friendships with my celebrity dance partners.

James has since responded to the clip on his Instagram as he shared a raging statement saying that the footage was ‘edited for entertainment’

‘I strongly suggest that nobody attempts to link this edited BBC VT with the current alleged reports of abusive behaviour taking place behind the scenes by other Strictly professionals. 

‘There is no comparison to be drawn between those awful allegations and the highly produced and exaggerated VT from the BBC archives that is featuring on social media. To be clear, I deplore bullying or abusiveness in the workplace.’

Jordan, who left Strictly in 2012 after appearing on eight series, also banned Ms Bouzova, who formerly starred on BBC medical drama Casualty, from eating sweets and chocolate and would only allow her to buy pineapple and ham when they visited a supermarket together.

The video, which emerged just days after Graziano was sacked for allegedly hitting and kicking his partner Zara, was shown on Strictly spin-off It Takes Two at the time with its then host Claudia Winkleman introducing it to viewers.

Half way through the clip the show returned to the presenter who made light of the behaviour by describing Jordan, husband of another former Strictly pro Ola Jordan, as ‘an extraordinary human being.’

The video, which is being shared across social media platform TikTok opens with Jordan telling Ms Bouzova that he was a ‘force to be reckoned with’ before ordering her to ‘move that f***ing foot.’

Explaining why he is working the star so hard, he then says: ‘Unless she’s actually physically broken a rib, I don’t care…kill you, stand on your left leg. Unless her feet are bleeding, I don’t care. If they’re sore, dance through it.’

Appearing to be surprised by 46-year-old Jordan’s outbursts, Ms Bouzova then asked: ‘I forget, what will you do?’

He replies: ‘I drag you across the floor and then scream at you when get up..’

Later in the clip Jordan tells Ms Bouzova that she should lose weight. She told the camera: ‘Basically, he thinks I’m a bit of a porker,’ to which he replied: ‘I said you no chocolate, no crisps. Every time I see you, you’re eating chocolate.’

She then asked if she looks fat to which he said no but when she asked: ‘Do I look like I could do with losing a bit of…’ he replies: ‘Yes.’

Janette Manrara

Also on Monday Janette Manrara was dragged into the Strictly scandal – amid the latest drama for the ‘fatally tarnished’ show.

Paralympian Will Bayley claimed she made him redo a jump that caused a lifelong injury.

A BBC spokesperson for the It Takes Two host said the professional dancer has never received any complaints regarding her training methods.

Table tennis player Will, 36, claimed he sustained a lifelong injury while jumping during a performance on the show and blamed his then-partner Janette.

A representative for Janette told the BBC: ‘Janette had a great time dancing with Will and one of her favourite moments on the show was doing their contemporary couples choice. 

‘Her celebrity partner’s safety and enjoyment was always the priority throughout her time on Strictly.

Also on Monday Janette Manrara was dragged into the Strictly scandal – amid the latest drama for the ‘fatally tarnished’ show 

Paralympian Will Bayley claimed she made him redo a jump that caused a lifelong injury  

‘Janette has never received any complaints and has maintained friendships with all her partners, including Will.’

Will was born with arthrogryposis which limits the range of motion in the joints of his limbs and completed the move with straight knees. He opened up about the daily pain he suffers from over the weekend. 

A resurfaced clip aired during that year’s live shows has shown the devastating moment Will was curled up on the floor in pain after the jump.

The video heard Tess explaining that Will had been injured and would not be dancing that week, as it cut to the sportsman lying on the floor in agony with a medic crouched down helping with first aid.

Janette was also seen visibly distressed as she sat comforting her celebrity partner. In a later part of the video, Janette was herself consoled by fellow professional dancer Nancy Xu. 

‘I jumped off the table and as I landed, I landed with straight legs,’ Will said in the VT at the time. 

‘I thought I’d broke my leg because I’d never felt anything like it before but luckily it’s not as severe as what I thought when I first did it. 

‘To hear the words I ‘absolutely can’t dance’ is just really gutting for me but I need to recover now and come back even stronger next week.’ 

Will was given a week’s pass before he had to withdraw from the competition completely when his injury meant he would have to miss another live show. 

Recalling the ‘horrific pain’ he experienced as he crashed to the ground, the gold medalist, admitted he thought ‘his whole career was over.’

Earlier on Monday, the BBC broke their silence after Paralympian Will’s claims over the weekend.

Will was left with excruciating knee pain after competing on the series. 

The BBC said: ‘We have longstanding protocols for dealing with injuries if they occur and that includes contestants receiving all necessary treatment and support as required.’

Will was born with arthrogryposis which limits the range of motion in the joints of his limbs and completed the move with straight knees 

Speaking to The Sun, Will said: ‘We practiced a few times and I was really careful. But then Janette said my jump was ‘rubbish’ and I needed to smile more and go for it and show a bit of passion.’ 

Determined to improve, the sportsman ‘went for it’ but experienced ‘the most horrific pain.’

‘I was lying on the floor thinking my whole career was over. I heard my leg crack, I couldn’t breathe,’ he recounted. 

‘I’ll never get over that injury — you have it for life. I’ve already got a limiting disability but this on top of it. I wake up in the morning and it hurts. I can now only train for a couple hours before it’s sore.’ 

Will explained that he ‘didn’t have an issue with Janette’ but felt that she was under pressure from the show’s bosses. They have remained friends since their time on the series. 

A BBC spokesperson said: ‘We will not be commenting on individuals or engaging with speculation. However, as we have said previously we will always listen if people want to make us aware of something or raise it with us directly and we have appropriate procedures and processes in place to manage this.’

At the time of his injury, Will praised his dancing partner Janette for being ‘like a rock’ after his ‘incredible experience’ came to an end, leaving her in tears. 

He described hearing his knee ‘pop’ and thought he had broken his leg before a doctor told him he had torn his anterior cruciate ligament.

Appearing on the show as part of the audience, Will said : ‘I am so gutted but it’s so good to be here to support everyone, they’re all smashing it tonight. 

‘I feel like I’ve had the most support throughout this whole process, the least I can do is come back and I’m proud to watch you guys.’

He added: ‘It’s getting there I want to see what it’s like in a couple of weeks but I’ll be there in Tokyo I want to try and win that gold medal again.’

‘My highlight has having my partner Janette, she’s been like my rock to me I can’t speak highly of her enough.’

After recovering from his injury Will won both individual and team silver at the rearranged 2020 Tokyo Games in 2021.