EXCLUSIVE: BBC bosses have had their work cut out for them over the past two decades as Strictly Come Dancing continues to face a string of seemingly never-ending controversies and scandals
Strictly Come Dancing has faced its fair share of controversies and scandals since it first aired on BBC back in 2004.
Between the dreaded ‘Strictly curse’, horror injuries, sexism scandals, bullying rows, misconduct, stars being axed or suspended for their behaviour, and decisions to include some rather unpopular contestants, the iconic dance competition has been sending tongues wagging for over two decades now.
Despite rehearsals being in full swing ahead the new series this month, a dark cloud has already settled over Strictly’s star-spangled launch.
The latest debate surrounding the show involves far-right Apprentice star Thomas Skinner who furiously stormed out of a scheduled roundtable interview on Tuesday before snatching a reporter’s phone who has asked the star a simple question about how he felt being a part of the upcoming series.
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Many Strictly fans have now called for the 34-year-old reality TV star to be axed from the series as they labelled him as a ‘manchild’ for seemingly becoming furious when asked generic questions about his participation in the 2025 series.
Social media users flocked in their hundreds to call out Skinner, while others questioned why bosses desired to have such a controversial figure be apart of the show in the first place.
However, despite being slapped with a warning from BBC bosses, it looks as though Skinner is set to stay in the line-up for 2025.
Speaking to The Mirror, an insider said that all 15 of the celebrities were due to film the launch programme today, which airs on the 20th September. “He’s expected to continue,” they added. “It was a surprise turn of events yesterday but hopefully everything will return to normal today.”
Contestant arrested on suspicion of rape
Last month, it was also reported that a former Strictly contestant was arrested on suspicion of rape. The male suspect, who has not been named for legal reasons, was also being questioned over allegations involving “non-consensual intimate image abuse”. At the time, the BBC told the Mirror that a police investigation is ongoing.
A Met spokesman said: “On Friday, August 22, officers arrested a man on suspicion of rape and non-consensual intimate image abuse. We urge anyone with any information to come forward to us. The arrest follows a third party allegation of sexual and drug-related offences.”
The Corporation also insisted the allegations do not involve anyone on this year’s series. A BBC source said there is nothing to suggest the allegation is related to the current production of Strictly, for which training has started. They added: “We think the new series will continue as normal.”
Cocaine scandal
The Met Police investigation follows a BBC-led inquiry into claims of drug abuse by stars on the show. In early August, claims of cocaine use by two show stars came to light as reports suggested their substance use was an open secret on the show.
The BBC enlisted the services of a top legal firm at the beginning of August to investigate recent drugs accusations, with former participants, professional dancers and crew members being invited to speak with solicitors at Pinsent Masons to voice any issues they might have had.
It’s believed that additional individuals have also brought forward allegations of drug consumption on Strictly Come Dancing to the BBC.
In a statement shared with the Mirror at the time, a representative for the BBC said: “We have clear protocols and policies in place for dealing with any serious complaint raised with us. We would always encourage people to speak to us if they have concerns. It would not be appropriate for us to comment further.”
Just days after the story was leaked, it was reported that bosses at the BBC were ready to offer a rehabilitation programme to the two show stars at the centre of the storm.
It was also claimed there could be random drug tests added to the upcoming tours, which are known to include after-parties, in a bid to crack down on the reported drug use.
Unimpressed fans
Scandals aside, there’s also pressure on the show after it revealed an ‘underwhelming’ line-up, announcing the class of 2025. Strictly will return to our screens this autumn for the 23rd series, but some fans say they have already been left feeling short-changed.
To crank up the excitement, the show’s social media team had been dropping an announcement for each contestant. Among the names we can expect to see on the show including Gladiators star Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, Love Island’s Dani Dyer and Doctor Who star Alex Kingston.
While some excitement simmered for the likes of Vicky Pattinson and YouTube star George Clarke, plenty of people were left wanting more. As BBC bosses revealed Lioness and broadcaster Karen Carney and Hollywood correspondent for Lorraine, Ross King, viewers spoke up.
Strictly fans were quick to flood the comments of the post with their opinions – and many of them didn’t hold back. One user wrote: “Not really into the lineup this year. It feels a little underwhelming for me.”
Another person mused: “Is it me, or are they really scraping the barrel for these ‘celebrities’? It feels like the Z-list reboot.”
Wynne Evans
The 2024 series proved that it couldn’t escape drama when Wynne Evans was called out for his behaviour.
In more drama for the dance series, Go Compare star Evans, was seen with his hand creeping around Katya Jones’ waist in an alleged “in joke” between the pair last year.
The Welsh warbler was then axed from the show’s tour after making an alleged sexual slur about Janette Manrara and has now been let go by the BBC completely. Evans had used the sexually suggestive term “spit roast” to describe host Janette during a private joke with EastEnders actor and former co-star Jamie Borthwick, who has also since been axed from the soap.
He later apologised for the mistake, which he insisted was not intended in the way it was perceived. However, his apology wasn’t enough and his time on the Strictly tour ended prematurely.
Bullying claims
In 2023 , there was endless drama surrounding Giovanni Pernice – who was accused of bullying Sherlock star, Amanda Abbington.
Giovanni was once one of the longest serving dancers on Strictly Come Dancing – until he was paired with Amanda. At the beginning, Giovanni was happy with his choice of partner, believing Amanda was a great dancer who could even win the final with him. But it wasn’t long before things turned sour and within weeks of joining the show, Amanda had quit.
Not only that, but the 51-year-old went on to make a formal complaint about Giovanni, 35. This sparked a months-long investigation that is said to have cost the licence-fee payers over £250,000.
In the end, just six of Amanda’s 17 complaints were upheld. They included verbal bullying and harassment – such as using swear words, ‘belittling’ language and giving negative feedback to his partner. Though he was cleared of the most serious allegations of physical aggression.
After Giovanni was cleared of some but not all of the charges against him made by Amanda, his fellow Italian Graziano di Primo was also given the boot after footage of him appearing to kick Love Island star, Zara McDermott, in the rehearsal studio was leaked.
Graziano apologised after his exit from Strictly, insisting: “I wasn’t meaning to kick her. I’d never, never do that. My foot brushed her after I kicked the floor.” But viewers weren’t happy, with many urging the BBC to finally pull the plug.
Ageism row
Original judge Arlene, 80, said she was forced to find out about her own sacking while listening to Radio 5 Live in 2009. Then aged 66, the heartbroken star was devastated to learn she’d been ousted, with Alesha Dixon, then 30, brought in to replace her.
Recalling the brutal phone call in which her fate was confirmed, she once said: “It’s like a divorce, isn’t it. It happens, it’s divorce by telephone, you get a phone call and suddenly it’s like ‘hello, my family’s gone’. I’m here and they are there.”
Despite a public backlash, accusations of ‘ageism’ and threats to boycott the show, Arlene said BBC bosses would never allow their minds to be swayed. “There was a big campaign to get me back but they have made their decision. The BBC will do what the BBC do,” she continued.
“Suddenly you are dropped and all the big fish have swum away from you.” Making matters worse, it came just days after the death of her long-time manager, who had always negotiated her contract.
“The truth was that two days before it happened to me I had lost my closest friend and my manager,” she said. “When I came to London, aged 23, he was my friend and agent. He passed away and he had negotiated my contract. I wasn’t in a fit state to do anything. I was grieving.”
Sean and Katya kiss
During the 2018 series, shock pictures emerged of Katya locking lips with her dance partner Seann Walsh.
The pair were spotted snogging in the street when a late night dance rehearsal descended into a boozy trip to the pub. Katya was married to fellow dancer and Strictly co-star Neil Jones at the time while Seann was also in a relationship with actress Rebecca Humphries.
Kiss-gate stole headlines for the BBC show that year, with a downcast Katya and Seann forced to make a grovelling apology for their antics on spin-off show It Takes Two. The duo awkwardly carried on in the competition despite a huge public backlash – with Neil left to watch from the sidelines as they danced in the studio together just days after pictures of the snog hit news stands.
After vowing kiss-gate would not affect them, Katya and Neil’s marriage ended, although the pair insisted Seann’s kiss with Katya had nothing to do with their decision to split. The pair confirmed their break-up on Instagram in a joint statement just 10 months later. “We will always love each other, just in a different way as friends. This will never change what a great team we make and we are really proud of everything we have achieved together,” they told fans.
Kevin Clifton ‘humiliation’
Kevin Clifton made the Strictly Come Dancing final five times before eventually lifting the Glitterball Trophy with Stacey Dooley in 2018. But the professional ballroom dancer – who famously dubbed himself ‘King Kev’ – sparked shock by walking in 2019 away after seven years.
His exit came after what is said to have been a ‘humiliating’ 2019 series for the then-reigning champ. Despite reportedly having high hopes of winning again, he and his partner Anneka Rice, 63, were the second couple to be eliminated and he was relegated to a backing dancer.
Rumours circulated that after his much-publicised romance with Stacey – who dumped her boyfriend and got with Kevin after Strictly wrapped – bosses paired him with Anneka to avoid any further scandal.
And just before his announcement, Kevin hinted that he wanted out, telling Katie Piper: “It has to happen at some point, I don’t see myself doing this when I’m 40.”
Brendan Cole ‘affair’
The Strictly Curse was born on the very first series in 2004 when Brendan Cole and fellow pro Camilla ended their engagement amid rumours he and celebrity partner Natasha Kaplinsky had grown close.
Newsreader Natasha and Brendan both denied having an affair, while Camilla – who was paired with antiques expert David Dickinson – described the end of their eight-year relationship as a ‘mini-death’.
Then in 2018 Brendan broke his silence, hinting that he did get involved with Natasha – but only once his marriage was over. For Camilla, watching her fiancé grow close to another woman on the show left her ‘broken’.
“To this day I have no idea whether it was her fame and celebrity that swept him away or if he really did feel a strong connection with her,” she previously told The Mirror. “I’m guessing it was probably a bit of both. It felt as if the fact that we’d just got engaged meant nothing to either of them.
“What was really hurtful was not just that Brendan appeared to have forgotten he was engaged, the entire nation seem to have forgotten he was engaged. He was everything that mattered to me. My family, my career – everything I’d built towards. I felt like, what do I have left?”
At rock bottom, she binged on self-help and hypnosis CDs and books and after winning Strictly with actor Tom Chambers in 2005, she quit to retrain as a life coach.
James Jordan sacking
Strictly star James Jordan got sacked from the main line-up in 2014 after eight years, and was instead offered a low-profile gig as a backing dancer. While his wife Ola was invited back, he turned down the offer amid claims he was furious that his loyalty to the show had not been repaid.
A source close to the couple said: “He is fuming. He very much sees himself and Ola as the stars of the show and can’t understand why he hasn’t been invited back.He has spent years working with them and feels he has given so much. This has come as a real shock to him.
“To say it all kicked off at the end of last week would be an understatement. This really has not gone down very well at all.” He went on to star in Celebrity Big Brother where he slagged off the hit show, calling the rest of the professionals were ‘beige’ and ‘not massive characters.’
Ola Jordan ‘clash with bosses’
The show’s longest-serving female, Ola returned for one more series before quitting in 2015 after reportedly growing sick of tensions with bosses. She posted an emotional message to fans on Twitter tonight and decide not to address speculation she’s not happy with bosses.
A source said at the time: “This has been on the cards a while. She’s very loyal to James so when he was forced out it left a sour taste.” Ola was also slammed by judge Craig Revel Horwood who suggested she should be banned from taking part in ‘sexy shoots’, such as one she did for her 2016 calendar.
The source told The Sun newspaper: “Her calendar shoot was a bit racy, but Strictly dancers aren’t paid a huge amount. She has so many work offers, she can’t turn down things like that. Ola has been amazing on ‘Strictly’ and in the main it’s been a great experience, but it’s time to walk away.”
Will Strictly survive the latest scandals?
Even after a string of controversies, the series continues to draw a dedicated fanbase eager to watch famous faces step outside their comfort zones, tackle demanding routines, and reveal unexpected sides of their personalities.
More than two decades on, it remains one of the BBC’s most successful global formats. While critics have called for its curtain to fall, loyal supporters continue to champion Strictly, keeping it firmly in the spotlight despite the headlines.
Speaking to The Mirror, a pr expert has shared their thoughts on the future of the BBC show and it seems that it can weather any storm, despite the endless controversies.
“Strictly Come Dancing has weathered controversy before, and its core audience remains fiercely loyal. Fans tune in not just for the celebrities, but for the spectacle, the emotional journeys, and the feel-good moments that scandals can’t erase,” our source said.
“From a PR standpoint, the key is for the BBC to acknowledge issues without letting them overshadow the show’s entertainment value. If they keep the focus on the performances and the stories of the contestants, Strictly can continue to thrive despite the headlines.”
So yes, it looks as though nothing can truly bring Strictly Come Dancing to it’s knees – no matter how big the controversy.
