Steve Backshall complained to BBC about his Strictly professional Ola Jordan

Steve Backshall complained to the BBC about his professional partner on Strictly Come Dancing Ola Jordan back in 2014 claiming she ‘bullied’ him.

The explorer and presenter, now 51, lodged a complaint with the channel after struggling in gruelling practice sessions.

The bullying claims have reemerged during a time of crisis for the show amid various abuse scandals and a misconduct probe – with insiders now saying that the series is ‘fatally tarnished’.

Pro Graziano Di Prima, 30, was axed from the upcoming series over reports he verbally and physically abused his celebrity partner Zara McDermott, 27, during last year’s competition.

This came after another pro Giovanni Pernice, 33, was suspended from the show last month over claims of off-camera misconduct – which he denies – made by Amanda Abbington, 50, and two other former celeb partners. 

And as far back as 2014 there were claims of bullying when Steve appeared on the show.

After he made the complaint the pair were assigned a chaperone to follow them around after he refused to be alone with the now 41-year-old Polish-born dancer. 

The programme’s bosses were forced to step in after he alleged that she had dented his confidence with her ‘rude and impatient’ manner.

A source close to the show explained at the time: ‘Steve is a very bouncy personality, up for any challenge, but Ola’s harsh treatment has flattened him and made him lose confidence.

‘She was very rude and impatient when he found it difficult to master the shapes for last Saturday’s Charleston.

‘Her choreography and tuition was so tough, Steve resorted to asking other people to show him what he had to do. 

‘Ola is a cold and very distant personality, who refuses to mix with Steve’s family and friends,’ the source added.

It is understood that Steve complained directly to one of the Strictly producers after their Halloween-themed Charleston.

Bosses then called Ola in for a meeting and agreed that she and Steve would be accompanied at all times while they remained in the competition.

At the time Steve told how he struggled with the physical demands of the series.

He told the Daily Mail he was unable to point the toes of his left foot because his ankle was fused in a near-fatal climbing accident in 2008.

The action star, who was once bitten by a caiman, a reptile similar to a crocodile, revealed he was in ‘constant pain’ during training and took painkillers every day, adding: ‘It has absolutely broken me. 

‘You are training all day long on hard wooden floors wearing dance shoes that have no give in them at all, and no cushioning. The impact travels straight all the way through my body and I’m just falling apart.’

He also complained that the constant training affected his social life, saying: ‘I’m actually a little bit disappointed about the fact I’m supposedly in this incredibly high-profile position and I haven’t even got a minute to see my oldest and dearest friends, let alone to go on a date.

‘So it’s been rubbish for that. My dance partner is very, very happily married, so there is certainly no chance of me getting involved like that. 

‘And outside of that, not a chance. I have had zero social life.’

A show insider said at the time: ‘Ola is a strict taskmaster. She sees real potential in Steve and thinks he could go the distance in the competition. 

‘She took the trophy with Chris Hollins and would love to win again – and with the mums’ and kids’ votes behind them, Steve is a real contender.’ 

A representative for Ola has been contacted by MailOnline for comment.  

It comes after last week Ola’s husband and fellow former pro on the show James furiously hit back after unearthed footage emerged of him telling his partner Georgina Bouzova he would ‘drag her across the floor and scream at her’ if she forgot her moves.

The ballroom dancer and choreographer, 46, slammed the BBC after the clip began doing the rounds again following the recent Giovanni and Graziano scandals – saying most of the footage ‘was not related to Georgina at all’.

The clip, which was filmed during the fourth series back in 2006, shows him rehearsing with actress Georgina.

He also says to her ‘kill you’ as he demands she stands on one leg and insists that unless she has physically broken a rib he doesn’t care what pain she is in. He is also seen throwing a chair across the training studio.

But he has since responded to the clip on his Instagram as he shared a raging statement saying that the footage was ‘edited for entertainment’ and was ‘highly produced and exaggerated’.

He said there ‘is no comparison to be drawn between those awful allegations and the VT’ – while insisting none of his celebrity partners ever complained about him during his eight years on the show.

James penned in the caption to his post as he shared a snap dancing with Georgina: ‘For those of you who have seen the edited BBC VT of me training with Georgina 18 years ago – yes I had hair once!!

‘But I just wanted to reassure you that footage was shot and edited together by the BBC team for transmission on It Takes Two 18 years ago in specific ways for the purposes of ENTERTAINMENT. 

‘Many of the clips were not related to Georgina at all (they are not allowed to do that these days as it misrepresents what actually happened) but were included for the purpose of exaggeration. 

‘The BBC thought it would be fun to put this VT together in the way they did. You can see Georgina laughing about it in the studio and in the clips… And I have never received ANY complaints from any of my celebrity dance partners in the 8 years I was on the show. 

‘Obviously if I had genuinely upset anyone, that footage would NEVER have been allowed to be used in that way by the BBC themselves. The Producers loved to paint me as the bad guy and I played along…always a perfectionist …but I would never have deliberately upset anyone and pride myself on good friendships with my celebrity dance partners.

‘I strongly suggest that nobody attempts to link this edited BBC VT with the current alleged reports of abusive behaviour taking place behind the scenes by other Strictly professionals. 

‘There is no comparison to be drawn between those awful allegations and the highly produced and exaggerated VT from the BBC archives that is featuring on social media. To be clear, I deplore bullying or abusiveness in the workplace.’

Jordan, who left Strictly in 2012 after appearing on eight series, also banned Ms Bouzova, who formerly starred on BBC medical drama Casualty, from eating sweets and chocolate and would only allow her to buy pineapple and ham when they visited a supermarket together.

The video, which emerged just days after Graziano was sacked for allegedly hitting and kicking his partner Zara, was shown on Strictly spin-off It Takes Two at the time with its then host Claudia Winkleman introducing it to viewers.

Half way through the clip the show returned to the presenter who made light of the behaviour by describing Jordan, husband of another former Strictly pro Ola Jordan, as ‘an extraordinary human being.’

The video, which is being shared across social media platform TikTok opens with Jordan telling Ms Bouzova that he was a ‘force to be reckoned with’ before ordering her to ‘move that f***ing foot.’

Explaining why he is working the star so hard, he then says: ‘Unless she’s actually physically broken a rib, I don’t care…kill you, stand on your left leg. Unless her feet are bleeding, I don’t care. If they’re sore, dance through it.’

Appearing to be surprised by 46-year-old Jordan’s outbursts, Ms Bouzova then asked: ‘I forget, what will you do?’

He replies: ‘I drag you across the floor and then scream at you when get up..’

Later in the clip Jordan tells Ms Bouzova that she should lose weight. She told the camera: ‘Basically, he thinks I’m a bit of a porker,’ to which he replied: ‘I said you no chocolate, no crisps. Every time I see you, you’re eating chocolate.’

She then asked if she looks fat to which he said no but when she asked: ‘Do I look like I could do with losing a bit of…’ he replies: ‘Yes.’

Last Monday Jordan weighed into the Di Prima scandal, writing on X: ‘Just seen another pro dancer is not coming to Strictly – again for apparent abusive behaviour. What is going on?’

Amanda will soon learn the ruling of the investigation she triggered after complaining her Strictly partner Giovanni bullied her in training.

But regardless of the outcome, bosses are said to be furious at the actress, who they now believe is encouraging other former contestants to engage with her lawyers over their time on the programme.

In recent weeks they think she has been urging competitors who have taken part in Strictly over the years to speak to London-based law firm Carter-Ruck in a bid to find others with allegations of a toxic environment on the show.

One BBC insider said: ‘Amanda seems to be stopping at nothing to make sure that a dark cloud is left over Strictly.

‘She seems to have a real issue with the show. She has been open about not enjoying her time, but why spoil it for everyone else?

‘It’s not looking like there is a smoking gun in her complaint about Giovanni, so now she is getting others to come forward and then later it appears in the Press so the row keeps going and going.’

Amanda is understood to have contacted actress Laila Rouass to encourage her to speak to her lawyers following an incident in 2009 when her partner Anton Du Beke, now a judge on the show, described her as ‘looking like a p***’ after she had a spray tan.

Strictly staff are outraged and say that much of the behaviour that is not as serious as Graziano hitting and kicking Zara also risks diluting actual complaints.

One said: ‘How is Amanda whipping up incidents of a few raised voices or something that happened 15 years ago helping the real issues of bullying?’

Meanwhile, the Mail recently revealed that those aware of the details of the evidence-led probe into Mr Pernice say they believe the allegations are unlikely to be found proven.

It paves the way for the professional dancer, who has strongly denied any misconduct towards Ms Abbington, to be cleared three months after the inquiry began.

With judgement said to be just days away, Ms Abbington took the unusual step of speaking to The Sun on Sunday regarding Mr Pernice’s alleged behaviour.

Her critics believe that she did the interview ‘to once again damage’ the Italian dancer as he is widely expected to be cleared of bullying her.

Ms Abbington, who told the newspaper she suffered from PTSD as a result of the show earlier this year, claims Mr Pernice was ‘abusive, cruel and mean.’ However, she didn’t give any examples of his behaviour.

She said that she had made the complaint because ‘I couldn’t sit back and let him do that to other people’, despite knowing she would suffer a ‘backlash’.

She added: ‘I would not have been able to live with myself for the sake of future people going on that show.’

Mr Pernice hit back at her interview, with his spokesman telling the Mail: ‘The BBC has shared allegations from the inquiry with Giovanni, who has cooperated fully. None of the allegations carried in the Sun on Sunday are included in any shape or form.

‘Giovanni refutes these allegations and denies any accusations of abusive or threatening behaviour. He has provided substantive evidence to the investigation and he remains fully confident of clearing his name.’

One source said: ‘Amanda clearly feels very hard done by in all of this and is getting ahead of things in case the ruling doesn’t go as she wants.’

The fallout is set to rumble on this week as the professional dancers begin their training for the new series today.