THE WRITING is on the wall and it spells out one thing: Strictly Come Dancing is set for another crisis-ridden series.
The show is already battling a drugs scandal, accusations of rape, a third of the cast being on fat jabs and one cast member already having quit doesn’t sound good – but there’s one crucial new revelation that REALLY highlights what dire straits the show is in.
Strictly – hosted by Claudia Winkelman and Tess Daly – was once the most coveted show to be part of[/caption]
Nick Knowles pulled out of last year’s Strictly due to injury[/caption]
Vicky Pattison is among this year’s Strictly Come Dancing line-up[/caption]
Because I know that this year’s fearful cast members are voluntarily TOPPING UP their insurance cover to protect their livelihoods.
I’ve heard that there’s a handful of stars who have sought out top-level packages aside from the BBC’s offering, which is along the lines of standard public liability insurance.
They’re looking to cover themselves primarily from a health perspective but it also takes in loss of earnings.
A source told me: “The BBC’s insurance is just what you’d expect on a TV show and there’s been several of this year’s cast who feel like it’s just not enough.
“They’re essentially topping it up by buying their own insurance cover – not just relying on the Beebs – so they’re backed in case of any loss of earnings, health issues, accidents and the like.”
Last year, Nick Knowles revealed he was forced to pay for two major operations out of his own pocket because the BBC’s insurance did not cover the cost, despite the injury occurring during rehearsals.
He was forced to pull out the comp when he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament during a jump with pro Luba Mushtuk, then was voted out.
But he had to take months out to recover, including a brace and using crutches as well as needing to learn to walk up stairs again.
There’s a number of sportspeople in this year’s cast who have spent years prioritising their physical health – former footballer Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, rugby ace Chris Robshaw and footballer Karen Carney.
But any kind of drama keeping the likes of Vicky Pattison, Dani Dyer and Lewis Cope away from work could also be disastrous for their earnings.
It comes after earlier this week The Sun revealed that a number of the celebrities had used, or were using Mounjaro, to prepare for their turns on the dancefloor.
And Game of Thrones actor Kristian Nairn bowed out two weeks ago for medical reasons, leaving bosses to cast Emmerdale actor Lewis Cope.
Last month was the shock revelation someone in a past series had been accused of rape.
It follows a string of allegations about drug use and partying.
Papers exposing these dark secrets is one thing, but to me far more impactful is the fact that there’s concern from within – from the bright-eyed celebrities who have voluntarily chosen to sign up.
An invite to appear on Strictly was once a golden ticket.
Now it appears to come with the need for an insurance policy.
A spokesperson for Strictly said: “We have longstanding protocols for dealing with injuries if they occur on the series, and that includes contestants receiving treatment and support as required.
“We also 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.”
Kristian Nairn bowed out of this year’s Strictly before it even launched[/caption]
The pro dancers are already back to work on the series – Dianne Buswell pictured here[/caption]
Strictly’s full scandal so far
Strictly Come Dancing’s scandal engulfed the show over the past few months, with several major players speaking out about what went on before the BBC came back with their findings. Here are the key moments of what’s happened so far
16th May: Giovanni Pernice sensationally quits Strictly Come Dancing after nine years on the show.
17th May: Giovanni becomes the centre of an official investigation after three former partners – believed to be Amanda Abbington, Laura Whitmore and Ranvir Singh – make complaints to the BBC.
16th June: Giovanni releases an official statement vowing to clear his name and denies any wrongdoing.
8th July: Strictly confirms Aljaz Skorjanec will return to the series, replacing Giovanni, after initially quitting the show two years ago.
10th July: Amanda Abbington launches fresh legal proceedings to get the rehearsal footage from her time with Giovanni, after allegedly he refused to release the videos.
13th July: Graziano Di Prima is axed from Strictly for “gross misconduct” after footage of his treatment of Zara McDermott is brought to the attention of the BBC.
Graziano quickly broke his silence, apologising for his behaviour in a statement and saying he “deeply regrets it”, adding his “intense passion and determination to win might have affected his training regime.”
15th July: Strictly bosses implement new duty of care protocols, including having a chaperone present throughout all rehearsals.
16th July: Zara McDermott speaks out publicly for first time. She states while the production team were “amazing to work with”, she found the rehearsal room “completely different”, confirming there’s footage of “certain situations”.
19th July: Anton Du Beke is put under the spotlight for his “1970s attitude” and treatment of female celeb stars, particularly after allegedly referring to 2009 partner Laila Rouass as a “p***” after getting a spray tan.
21st July: Paralympian Will Bayley, who has limb condition arthrogryposis, revealed he was encouraged to leap from a table during a dance routine, despite fears. The stunt caused an injury that forced him to withdraw from the show.
22nd July: MasterChef’s Gregg Wallace admits he broke down in tears and got a nasty stress rash on his face during his time on Strictly in 2014.
22nd July: Despite ongoing issues, the Strictly professional cast begin rehearsals for this year’s series.
23rd July: Celebrity agent Melanie Blake claims she was sexually assaulted by an unnamed pro dancer while backstage on the show, and claims she witnessed ageism, rudeness and a rough treatment to the point of injury.
23rd July: Strictly is forced to beef up security after ‘an intruder scales the wall of the rehearsal studio’.
23rd July: BBC boss Tim Davie breaks his silence on the ongoing allegations against Strictly, saying he is ‘deeply sorry’, adding: “Hundreds of people, be they pros, contestants or crew have been part of it and had a brilliant experience.
“At the same time if someone thinks there was something wrong or they want to talk about their experience then of course we want them to raise that with us. Be in no doubt we will take it seriously, listen and deal with it as appropriate.”
24th July: Strictly 2023 star Krishnan Guru-Murthy holds a bombshell interview with Amanda Abbington on Channel 4 news, where she claims she was bullied, with some of the ‘humilation being of a sexual nature’.
27th July: Laura Whitmore releases a statement regarding her Strictly experience, saying “I thought my experience was specific to me but I’ve since learned I was wrong”.
She adds she is not part of the official complaint, but has come forward to support Amanda with the BBC, alongside others.
28th July: Laila Rouass speaks out against the accusations regarding Anton Du Beke, saying she “never felt pressured” by him and “personally insisted on six to seven hours training a day”.
10th August: Graziano breaks his silence on his Strictly axe, saying “these vile, false allegations have ruined my life.”
He also told of the “shocking” end to his friendship with Zara McDermott.
We also revealed that Amanda Abbington was also quizzed for a second time as Strictly execs recruited 15 new staff to monitor rehearsals.
11th August: Just as the investigation was expected to conclude, Amanda made a dramatic intervention. Giovanni was on the brink of being cleared until Amanda handed in more text messages.
24th August: Graziano Di Prima called in top lawyers to sue the BBC and to try to clear his name. He recruited big hitters Whitestone Chambers to fight his corner.
A source said: “They’ve also looked at his BBC contract and believe there are grounds to sue.”
Meanwhile, the BBC also delayed releasing the findings of the probe into Giovanni Pernice. The Sun revealed that the results of the three-month investigation were unlikely to be announced in August.
13th September: Strictly wins best talent show at the National Television Awards
14th September: Strictly Come Dancing returned to TV – without Giovanni AND without the findings of the investigation revealed.
30th September: The BBC apologises to Amanda over the Strictly bullying scandal – but Giovanni is cleared of almost all abuse allegations.
Amanda released a statement saying she’s not happy with the outcome, while Gio shared his delight.
22nd October: Giovanni returns to TV in the UK for an interview on Lorraine and speaks about clearing his name.