Strictly Come Dancing has been branded “toxic and cruel” by former production staff.
They claim the BBC dancing show, which has already been dogged by scandal, had a toxic work culture. One former worker alleged they faced sexist and sexualised comments involving intrusive questions about their sex life.
A second claimed they saw “talented co-workers treated with cruelty”, while another complained that the workplace was “tense”, “toxic” and “uncomfortable”. The complaints, published in The Observer, date back to 2016 and span several series.
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A spokesperson for BBC Studios has pushed back on claims of a “negative workplace culture. They responded: “The welfare of our crews working on each series of Strictly is always of paramount importance to us.
“We act speedily when any concerns are raised, and we have thorough, effective and longstanding processes to manage them. We do not recognise the claims relating to a negative workplace culture.”
Last week, the BBC’s director general Tim Davie apologised to celebrities who had an experience on the show that “hasn’t been wholly positive”. He told journalists he was “disappointed” to hear that celebrity contestants had complained about how they were treated by their dance partners.
(Image: BBC)
Strictly has been engulfed in scandal following allegations of misconduct by the show’s professional dancers – an internal BBC probe has been investigating the complaints. Both Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima have left the show after claims were made about their behaviour in rehearsals.
Sherlock actress Amanda Abbington claimed her former dance partner Giovanni was “bullying and aggressive” towards her in rehearsals. She did so in her Channel 4 interview last week, while Pernice has denied claims of “threatening and abusive behaviour”.
(Image: BBC)
Graziano has apologised for kicking his former dance partner Zara McDermott in rehearsals. His spokesperson Mark Borkowski said: “There is never a time when kicking, or any sense of that is right, nd he knows that.”
“He knows he’s made a mistake. He apologised at the time.”
A BBC source previously told the Mirror: “The BBC hope that this report will bring the closure the show desperately needs although truth to be told that is quite an optimistic outlook and the reality could be very different.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
