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BBC to introduce Strictly Come Dancing rehearsal chaperones following ex-contestant complaints

"It is always important to look at whether there is more we should do."

Emily Sergeant - 17th July 2024

The BBC has announced plans to introduce rehearsal chaperones on Strictly Come Dancing after complaints from former contestants.

Following the news that professional dancers, Graziano Di Prima and Giovanni Pernice, are stepping down from their roles and will not be returning to the cast of the ever-popular BBC reality competition show when it returns later this year, the BBC has now announced some additional steps to strengthen welfare and support on the show.

These new measures follow complaints made about training and rehearsal expectations from some of the professional dancers, as well as their treatment of contestants and overall conduct.

Former Love Island star and documentary maker, Zara McDermott – who competed on Strictly Come Dancing last year, and was partnered with Graziano Di Prima – is the first former contestant to publicly speak out against her professional dance partner’s conduct on the show.

The media personality notably took to social media this week to share her personal account.

The 27-year-old said she had “wrestled with the fear of opening up” about her time and experiences on the show because she feared the “public backlash” and “victim shaming” that could come with it.

Ultimately though, McDermott said she gained strength to “face those fears” and speak out.

“So much of my Strictly experience was everything I could have dreamt of,” McDermott wrote in her statement shared to her Instagram Stories yesterday (16 July).

“The entire production team and everyone behind the scenes as well as my fellow contestants were so amazing to work 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 incredibly distressing to watch.”

The BBC says that, due to the concerns having arisen in recent months being “fundamentally” about training and rehearsals, the actions and additional “practical” steps it has announced this week are “designed to address that”, for the most part.

The broadcaster says that, as “a matter of course”, it takes duty of care “extremely seriously”, and its processes on Strictly Come Dancing updated every year to reflect this – with its intentions being to continue to keep this under “constant review”.

“It is always important to look at whether there is more we should do,” the BBC said in a formal statement.

The BBC is announcing additional steps to strengthen welfare and support on Strictly Come Dancing

More ➡️ https://t.co/GAnc5mOOZh pic.twitter.com/GECWtsS2oP

— BBC Press Office (@bbcpress) July 16, 2024

So, from this upcoming series of the show onwards, the BBC has confirmed that there will be a production team member present during training room rehearsals “at all times”.

On top of this, the broadcaster says it intends to increase existing support with the addition of two new roles on the show dedicated to welfare support – a ‘Celebrity Welfare Producer’ and a ‘Professional Dancer Welfare Producer’.

Further training will also be delivered to the wider production team and crew.

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• Amanda Abbington breaks silence with statement after leaving Strictly Come Dancing for ‘personal reasons’
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Kate Phillips, who is the BBC’s Director of Unscripted, admitted that while the broadcaster knows its shows have been positive experiences “for the vast majority” of those who have taken part, she said that “if issues are raised with us, or we’re made aware of inappropriate behaviour, we will always take that seriously and act.”

Featured Image – BBC