Strictly bosses have addressed the backlash the show has received following the complete line-up of the 2024 series.
The full cast of this year’s edition of the BBC One dance competition was finally revealed last week, following months of anticipation and controversy. Over the past six months, the beloved show has been hit with a wave of complaints surrounding allegations of bullying and abuse involving several professional dancers.
Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima were axed from the show while the flagship channel launched an internal investigation which is set to end later this month. But the probe was thrown into chaos when new evidence released by Giovanni’s former dance partner Amanda Abbington was submitted.
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Meanwhile, fans of the long-running show have been noticeably critical of the show’s star-studded line-up. Fans will see the likes of TOWIE’s Pete Wicks, Love Island ’s Tasha Ghouri and EastEnders star Jamie Borthwick take to the dancefloor.
(Image: BBC/Guy Levy)
They will be joined by comedian Chris McCausland, DIY SOS legend Nick Knowles, and Olympian Tom Dean. Also taking part will be Miranda star Sarah Hadland, singer Toyah Wilcox, and hockey player Sam Quek.
X Factor’s Shayne Ward, JLS’s JB Gill, and opera singer Wynne Evans will also swap their trainers for dance shoes while Morning Live’s Dr Punam Krishnan, Gladiator’s Montell Douglass and footballer Paul Merson round out the cast.
However, viewers of the reality show have called out the lack of women in the line-up with only six women signed up to take part in the show this year. Meanwhile a total of nine men will be taking to the dancefloor this year to dazzle fans with their dance moves.
(Image: BBC/Guy Levy)
Previous reports have underlined that this is the “fewest” female celebrities Strictly has signed up before. It didn’t take long before fans flooded to social media to share their concerns online.
One user penned: “Too many men if true. Why are these producers/ booking execs so afraid of all female pairings?” Another agreed: “Really not feeling the ‘Strictly line-up this year. Especially the unbalanced 9 men 6 women ratio.”
A third echoed: “We are really excited about this year’s line-up and look forward to the series starting.” Now BBC bosses have addressed the controversy in a statement to the Metro.co.uk.
(Image: BBC/Guy Levy)
A Strictly spokesperson made their opinion on the upcoming show very clear. They said: “We are really excited about this year’s line-up and look forward to the series starting.
“There are many factors that influence the casting process to ensure we have a good mix of celebrities from a broad range of backgrounds. There is no hard and fast rule regarding the gender split on the show and it’s never been about ticking boxes.”
This comes after it was revealed Strictly bosses are dreading more backlash as the bullying investigation comes to an end. It will address staff’s response to the situation and whether concerns were properly addressed at the time.
(Image: Instagram)
A source said: “The probe will look at whether producers heeded the warnings that someone may have been struggling and what was done about it. It is difficult to see how the BBC can emerge from this without any blame whatsoever but time will tell.
“There are always learnings from things like this.” Fans will have to stay tuned to see how this will impact the 20th anniversary series this autumn.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
