A third professional dancer has been identified in the ongoing Strictly Come Dancing probe.
The BBC competition has been rocked by a number of incidents and scandals, including the departure of two of its most popular pros. Graziano di Prima announced on Saturday (July 13) that he had been fired from his job due to allegations of misconduct, while the initial probe into fellow Sicilian star Giovanni Pernice remains ongoing.
Now, a third star of the show has been identified as a “person of interest” for enquiries. The male dancer, whose name has not been released, has had their details passed to top legal firm Carter Ruck who is handling the case.
READ MORE: Strictly’s Janette Manrara shares ‘two passions’ with lover Aljaz Skorjanec before return
READ MORE: Join the Daily Star Soaps WhatsApp for all the latest spoilers and exclusives
Speaking to The Sun newspaper, a source close to the show explained: “A professional’s name has come up, alongside Giovanni and Graziano. He is no longer part of the show but he has been named as a person of interest.
“Conversations are ongoing and there are more people who need to be spoken to. A dossier is being compiled which will be handed over to the BBC.”
The insider added: “What is becoming clear is that there appears to be a more widespread issue over the conduct of some of the professionals in training. And the more people who come forward, the clearer the picture is becoming.”
The dancer is said to be no longer taking part in the show, but investigations into all aspects of the show are continuing. It comes after the BBC responded to the claims of “bullying” and “abuse” from professional dancers to their celebrity partners.
(Image: PA)
In a statement released on Tuesday (July 16), the channel said they would be bringing in new measures to ensure the safety of all contestants, including chaperones being present during training. This comes after allegations from both Zara McDermott and Amanda Abbington that their partners had been emotionally and physically abusive once the cameras stopped rolling
Di Prima, 30, was let go of by the BBC after video footage emerged of the Italian star hitting, kicking and spitting at his partner during last year’s series, Zara McDermott. Pernice, 33, quit the show earlier this year after allegations of abuse by Amanda Abbington left her with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Former Love Island star Zara opened up in a post on Instagram detailing how her experience on Strictly had gone for her. She explained that while overall, most of her time in the show was positive, seeing video footage of “particular incidents” left her distressed.
(Image: Instagram)
She added that it took her so long to come forward due to her fears of “victim shaming” and the eventual backlash from the public. However, thanks to the support from her friends and family, she felt confident enough to raise her concerns to the BBC during their investigations.
For more of the latest showbiz and TV news from the Daily Star, make sure you sign up for one of our newsletters here.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
