Strictly Come Dancing’s ongoing scandal has been made worse, after one of its professional dancers has reportedly contacted the BBC to complain amid investigations.
Ukrainian-born Nadiya Bychkova, 33, will add her insights into the show’s working culture, according to MailOnline.The star had been dancing on the show since 2017, before being dropped in 2023, a decision which had allegedly left her “seething”.
“Nadiya got in touch out of the blue and wanted to talk to the bosses,” a source told the publication. “They are taking every single murmur of a complaint seriously now so she was immediately asked in.
“She has been on the show for some years so will have seen a lot and possibly also experienced unpleasant behaviour. She will have worked with many people.”
The news comes after Graziano Di Prima was the latest professional dancer to be axed from the show after his alleged treatment ofLove Island star Zara McDermott during rehearsals. The dancer admitted to “kicking” the star in a new statement on Thursday (18 July).
The show had been beset by controversy after Amanda Abbington aired her experience under the tutelage of Giovanni Pernice, leading others to share theirs. Pernice was dropped from the show, with both dancers currently under investigation.
“Things really are getting serious now, it is a mess and it is getting worse by the day,” the source continued.
“This is now the third complaint about some kind of issue on the programme. It came as a surprise but now the inquiry into Giovanni Pernice is ongoing it has opened the opportunity for others to complain when perhaps they wouldn’t have done before.”
Although complaints until now have been largely made by contestants, this will mark the first time that a professional dancer has added their voice to the numbers.
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“There appears to be some very unhappy people on Strictly. Now there are fears about where this will end, literally nobody knows,” added the source.
Earlier this week, it was reported that Bychkova had split with her partner and dancer Kai Widdrington, according to MailOnline. The pair were known as the show’s “golden couple” and had been dating for two years.
Widdrington and Bychkova started dating in 2022 but kept the relationship secret for months before confirming the romance last year, after months of speculation.
Rumours about the split rose as the pair have been attending scheduled appearances on their own. Bychkova attended Wimbledon solo, while Widdrington attended the Police Bravery Awards without her.