Oh, for those halcyon days when ’s only scandal was the fact its contestants kept cheating on their spouses. In the last two years, the Saturday night show – which returns next month – has become the subject of much darker behind-the-scenes business that has tainted the 22-year-old programme’s wholesome brand of glittering escapism and feel-good fun.
In 2024, junior staffers spoke of a “toxic” on-set atmosphere, while 2023 contestants Zara McDermott and Amanda Abbington both raised serious concerns about their dance partners’ conduct. It emerged that Graziano Di Prima “kicked” McDermott during rehearsals, for which he apologised and left the show, while Abbington made 17 allegations of bullying, abuse and physical violence against Giovanni Pernice after abruptly withdrawing from the competition despite predictions she’d make the final. Pernice has always denied all allegations and rejected “any claim of threatening or abusive behaviour”.
Pernice, who had joined in 2015 and quickly became its star dancer, was dropped from ’s 2024 line-up, with the BBC’s investigation upholding six of the verbal bullying and harassment complaints while clearing him of the most serious accusations of physical aggression. Abbington, best known as Mary Morstan in the BBC’s , received a five-figure payout, and the BBC announced a set of new duty-of-care measures for including supervised training and welfare support roles.
But in the latest development to ’s ongoing PR disaster, Pernice is about to publish a memoir, , in which he says BBC bosses “hung me out to dry to cover their backs” and writes of being abandoned by “the famous family”. In yesterday’s interview with , he reveals he became depressed, gained 1st 12lb and contemplated suicide. He claims the BBC failed in its duty of care to both himself and Abbington.
He also raises a thorny question that cuts to the heart of ’s existential angst: can a show centred around perfectionism always play nice? “I strongly believe that Amanda should not have been on the show in the first place,” Pernice told . “Or, if you want to put her on the show, put her with somebody much ‘nicer’ than me. And when I say nicer, I mean ‘less competitive’.”
Part of ’s appeal is that we are watching amateur dancers pushed to achieve a level of excellence they never thought possible, which allows us to indulge in the armchair fantasy that maybe we could achieve that, too. It is not interesting to watch people simply having a lovely time – we want to see grit. The British public has always loved stories of resilience and defiance, which is why Pernice’s winning pairing with deaf actress Rose Ayling-Ellis in 2021 remains one of the most magical moments in television history.
It is also not interesting to watch mediocre professionals – Pernice’s own dance training included gruelling 16-hour days and rigorous discipline. As former contestant Rev Richard Coles remarked about this “wonderful show with a dark heart”, there is often a “culture shock” between dancers and celebrities.
Yet, is a pre-watershed, family show, and, crucially, meant to provide weekend escapism. Such toxicity breaks the spell: viewers don’t want to sense the kind of HR dysfunction they left behind in the office. Following Abbington’s 2023 allegations, Strictly’s 2024 launch show attracted nearly three-quarters of a million fewer viewers than the previous year: 5.5 million to 2023’s 6.2 million. Celebrities, too, might no longer see as good for their brands – this year’s line-up is so weak it even includes Graeme Hall, the star of Channel 5’s , whom nobody seems to have heard of.
It is perhaps no wonder, then, that the BBC has found such staggering success with its murder mystery game show , which, launched just after the pandemic, seemed to single-handedly boost national morale. The show prioritised camaraderie over competition, with many contestants so kind and bumbling that they proved hopelessly ill-equipped for the game’s psychological deception, which gave the show a distinctly British charm.
By January 2025, The Traitors’ average audience (9.3 million) had already nearly doubled 2024 launch, and managed to assemble a celebrity spin-off so impressive it felt like a fantasy line-up, featuring Alan Carr, Stephen Fry and Celia Imrie. It says everything about this absurd and wonderful show that Imrie accidentally breaking wind on camera became its most talked-about moment – worlds apart from ’s grubby bullying stories – and turned Imrie into a national treasure for a new generation. Celebrities now all want in on the show that promises reputational stardust, and its 2026 line-up includes Bella Ramsey, Maya Jama, Ross Kemp and Leigh Anne-Pinnock.
Of course, even isn’t totally immune from negativity. Last year, the main show was accused of unconscious racial bias, and its now familiar premise has attracted some conniving contestants that jar with its once guileless spirit. As the celebrity spin-off continues, it feels like only a matter of time until unchecked egos and a few skeletons in the closet lead to the media seizing on something a little less innocent than a bit of trapped wind. For now, however, has usurped as the new jewel in the BBC’s crown – and, with another potentially doomed series just around the corner, may never sparkle in the same way again.