Strictly Come Dancing is making a highly-anticipated return to screens, with a new series launching after a summer rocked with scandals. The show faced turmoil with the sacking of professional dancers Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima following allegations of abusive behavior. The BBC has introduced new measures to strengthen support behind the scenes.
Since its inception in 2004, Strictly has been marred by numerous scandals including voting gaffes, romances, and breakups attributed to the show’s so-called ‘curse’. Some of the biggest scandals include Graziano Di Prima’s sacking over abusive conduct towards his celebrity partner Zara, and Giovanni Pernice’s ‘bullying’ row with Amanda Abbington.
The show’s ‘curse’ has also led to high-profile romances such as Rachel Riley and Pasha Kovalev, and Stacey Dooley and Kevin Clifton. These relationships sparked controversies with allegations of affairs and led to public breakups.
Other scandals over the years include incidents involving Anton Du Beke’s racial slur towards Laila Rouass, John Sergeant’s controversial exit, and James Jordan’s ‘sacking’ from the show. The voting system also faced a massive gaffe in 2008, leading to accusations of unfairness.
Most recently, head judge Shirley Ballas found herself in a sexism row during the 2022 series, with viewers accusing her of favoring male contestants over females. Despite the controversies, Strictly Come Dancing continues to be a popular and entertaining show, with the upcoming series set to premiere on Saturday, September 14th.
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