Strictly Come Dancing professional dancers will no longer be left on their own with contestants during rehearsals, the BBC has announced.
In an attempt to get a grip on a deepening crisis at the BBC show, the broadcaster announced on Tuesday that a member of the Strictly Come Dancing production team will be present during training room rehearsals “at all times”.
There will also be two dedicated welfare producers as part of a series of extra measures. The decision had been taken after “concerns that have arisen in recent month […] about training and rehearsals”, the BBC said.
It comes after the departure of two male dancers from its professional ranks after complaints were made. The BBC confirmed last month that Giovanni Pernice would not be part of the lineup for this year’s series.
The 33-year-old Italian dancer has been fighting “serious complaints” about alleged “threatening and abusive behaviour”, after the actor Amanda Abbington, his partner in last year’s series, quit the show after five weeks.
The legal firm Carter-Ruck said it had contacted the BBC regarding “numerous serious complaints” about Pernice’s alleged behaviour while filming Strictly. Experts have said the row could seriously damage the Strictly brand as it enters its 20th anniversary season.
At the weekend it emerged that the Italian dancer Graziano di Prima was also leaving the show. Earlier on Tuesday the TV personality and former Love Island contestant Zara McDermott, who was partnered with Di Prima last year, said she now found it “incredibly distressing” to watch back footage from the Strictly training room, but had been scared of a potential backlash if she spoke out.
In a statement shared on social media, the 27-year-old said most of her experience was “amazing”, but added that “inside the training room was very different”.
She said: “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.” She also praised “the entire production team and everyone behind the scenes”, adding that her fellow contestants “were so amazing to work with”.
Di Prima confirmed his exit in a Instagram post at the weekend, writing: “I deeply regret the events that led to my departure from Strictly.” He added: “My intense passion and determination to win might have affected my training regime. Respecting the BBC HR process, I understand it’s best for the show that I step away.”
Kate Phillips, the BBC’s director of unscripted, said: “Whilst we know our shows have been positive experiences for the vast majority of those who have taken part, if issues are raised with us, or we’re made aware of inappropriate behaviour, we will always take that seriously and act.
“Concerns that have arisen have been fundamentally related to training and rehearsals. The decisive steps we have taken and are announced today act to further strengthen the welfare and support in place for everyone involved with this production.”