BBC boss Tim Davey apologises for Strictly ‘mistreatment’

BBC chief Tim Davie today apologised for the alleged mistreatment of contestants on Strictly Come Dancing – as he broke his silence on the ongoing scandal. 

The director general said he was ‘very sorry’ to anyone who ‘has had an experience on Strictly that hasn’t been wholly positive’ and vowed to ‘reflect on’ the claims that had been made. 

Mr Davie was speaking to journalists on the BBC’s annual report day as he delivered a speech on the future of the corporation.

He said there will inevitably be ‘competitiveness, hard work and the will to do well’ on the show, ‘but there are limits and the line should never be crossed’.  He added: ‘We will never tolerate unacceptable behaviour of any kind.’

Yesterday, former contestant Will Bayley became the latest star to speak about his experiences on the show, after concerns were raised about the treatment of contestants Amanda Abbington and Zara McDermott. 

Asked if he is confident the show will go ahead this series, Mr Davie said: ‘I need to be assured we have the right safeguarding and duty of care in place, and that is the first question I ask.

‘I am assured by the robust actions we have taken in terms of the changes we have made … that we are in a position to deliver a very good season this year and that has been my focus.’

He continued: ‘With that assurance, I’m looking forward to the next season.’

Addressing how he felt when the allegations first emerged about the show, he said he was ‘disappointed’.

He added: ‘I’m very sorry that anyone has had an experience on Strictly that hasn’t been wholly positive, I think that is something we do reflect on, and I’m sorry about that.’

Mr Davie told journalists: ‘Strictly is a wonderful show that brings a lot of joy to a lot of people, and has done so for 20 years, to both those involved with the show itself and to millions of people at home.

‘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 feels there was something wrong or they wanted to talk about their experience, then, of course, we want them to raise that with us and be in no doubt, we will take it seriously, listen and deal with it as appropriate.

‘While I’m not going to talk about individuals, you can see evidence of that in recent weeks. So, I hope that anyone who does want to talk to us feels they can.

‘It is vital that we have the right protocols and structures in place for the show. We keep these under review, and as you know we confirmed changes to these last week. It is essential these are right for everyone.

‘Of course, alongside the fun and entertainment, there will be a degree of competitiveness, hard work, and a will to do well, that’s part of what makes this show. But there are limits and the line should never be crossed.

‘We will never tolerate unacceptable behaviour of any kind.

BBC bosses are said to be desperate to draw ‘an immediate line’ under the scandal when the new series of Strictly begins in September.

Hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman may be asked to address it at the start of the first show and could even say sorry after complaints from Amanda Abbington, Zara McDermott and Steve Backshall.

‘This year’s Strictly is the 20th anniversary and it will be a celebration of the show and its history’, an insider told MailOnline.

‘The BBC will want to draw an immediate line under what has happened. The show can’t start soon enough’.

It came as Strictly’s 2024 cohort of professionals were all smiles as they arrived for rehearsals in north London today and yesterday as preparations for the new series ramp up this summer. Insiders have said that privately some ‘fear for their jobs’.

There are claims a host of Strictly celeb contestants have set up a ‘secret support group’ where they have shared their own horror stories and corroborated one another’s claims. 

But Tess and Claudia may not address the sudden departures of Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima. 

Di Prima admits kicking Zara McDermott once in a rehearsal but Giovanni has branded allegations about his teaching methods ‘simply false’. His supporters say he has high standards.

‘The BBC won’t want to go there’, the source claimed.

The series’ launch show where pairings will be revealed is pencilled in for September 4 with live shows beginning two weeks later. It will then run for 13 weeks until the final in December.

Strictly is facing its biggest crisis in its 20 years since it returned to the BBC in its current form.

There are also rumours that the Tess and Claudia could be considering their futures. There have long been claims that they have a mutual agreement that they would leave together to make way for a new presenting duo.

MailOnline has asked the BBC to comment. 

It came as Strictly’s most senior boss’ job is under threat and numerous ‘entitled’ stars face the axe following the huge scandal currently engulfing the hit BBC One ballroom show.

Suzy Lamb, who is in charge of all of BBC Studio’s entertainment programmes – including Strictly – is fighting for her role as the Corporation undergoes a restructure.

Sources inside the BBC suggest that fall out on the Saturday night dance series will ‘harm’ her chances of getting a newly merged job which she is fighting another colleague to win.

The Beeb will be merging Lamb’s role as Managing Director of Entertainment and Music, with Hannah Wyatt’s job as Managing Director of Factual Entertainment and Events Productions – leaving only one job open.

The new role will create a giant new unscripted division at BBC Studios which will oversee entertainment, music, factual and events.

Both women joined the corporation in 2017 but the feeling is that Wyatt will get the newly greatly role.

Lamb joined BBC Studios from production company Thames, where she was head of entertainment and launched Take Me Out with Paddy McGuinness as well as overseeing X-Factor.

A source said: ‘The Strictly scandal has been very damaging to Suzy. She’s the top boss so the buck stops with her. There’s clearly been a culture behind the scenes on the show, and with every former contestant that speaks out, it all comes back to Suzy.’

The new job threats come as the BBC’s hit dance show has been engulfed with complaints of abuse and mistreatment of contestants by Strictly professionals.

Professional Graziano Di Prima, 30, was axed from the show last week following claims he allegedly hit and spat at his dancing partner Zara McDermott, 27, during rehearsals.

Weeks before, Giovanni Pernice, 33, was suspended while a BBC probe is conducted over claims of off-camera misconduct made by Amanda Abbingto, 50, and two other former celeb partners.

James Jordan has also poured fuel on the flames of the Strictly bullying row after Steve Backshall complained that his dancer wife ‘bullied’ him while on the programme in 2014.

The former Strictly pro took to social media to make a jibe at the seasoned television explorer after it emerged that he lodged a complaint with the BBC over professional dancer Ola’s ‘rude and impatient manner’. 

Responding to a Strictly fan’s mocking disbelief that the hardened explorer – who has dived with Great White sharks and wrestled poisonous snakes in his career – could be ‘reduced to tears’ by the 5ft4 dancer, James joked ‘please help me!!’

It comes less than a week after old footage of James – who also appeared as a professional dancer on the celebrity dance competition show –  telling his partner Georgina Bouzova he would ‘drag her across the floor’ if she forgot her moves.

Strictly bosses are now reportedly considering axing five of it’s longest- serving dancers amid the beleaguered show’s misconduct chaos.

While rehearsals for this year’s series have already begun, it’s been claimed producers are on the hunt for new talent for 2025 who are less likely to feel ‘entitled and untouchable’.

The BBC show has been engulfed by drama since Giovanni was suspended after his celebrity partner Amanda accused him of abusive behaviour, saying he was ‘cruel and mean.’ He denies the claims.

It was followed by Graziano’s sacking last month over reports he verbally and physically abused Zara during rehearsals. 

Graziano has apologised for kicking his former partner and added other allegations do not align with ‘how he remembers it.’

A source told The Sun: ‘There’s the fear that being on the show leaves them more open to feeling entitled and untouchable.

‘It’s not a done deal, and it’s not just going to be a case of the oldest or longest-serving being shown the door. It would be a carefully considered process, with other factors taken into account too.

‘The fact that the BBC are even considering making big changes and bringing in fresh blood is a sign of how keen they are to move on and make every effort to ensure nothing like this happens again’.

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’.

But despite the show being overshadowed by scandals, Strictly professionals carried on working as normal on Monday as they began rehearsing for the next series.

Amy Dowden, 33, shared her delight of returning to training to her Instagram after being diagnosed with breast cancer in May last year – forcing her to not compete last year.

 ‘I can’t believe the day has finally arrived,’ she said.

‘Since spring 2023 I’ve been dreaming of this day. Thinking and sometimes doubting it would even happen with so many setbacks along the way.

‘I didn’t sleep last night with nerves and excitement.

‘I had a good cry this morning and going to soak up every moment of this seies which I’m forever grateful for.

‘The Strictly family couldn’t have been more supporting and loving this past year and I truly hope to make you proud this year. Right year 8, let’s do this.’

Carlos Gu, 31, Dianne Buswell, 35 and Nikita Kuzmin, 26, were all seen arriving for rehearsals in London.

Katya Jones, 35, and Alijaz Skorjanec, 34, also seemed in high spirits as they arrived at the studio.

Neil Jones posted a video of himself with the song ‘so good’ over the top showing himself walking to rehearsals. ‘Day 1 walking to @bbcstrictly rehearsals’ he commented.

And Gorka Marquez, 33, posted a video with Karen Hauer, 42, and Luba Mushtuk, 34, going to get coffee together before rehearsals begun.

Nadiya Bychkova, 34, risked an awkward run in with her ex Kai Widdrington, 28, as both of them attended rehearsals despite announcing theur split from each other last week.

The couple, who both compete on the BBC series, split after two years together with sources saying it was because they were ’emotionally drifting away’ from each other.

Sharing an Instagram post on Friday, Bychkova said: ‘There have been lots of Strictly rumours around in the last few days and I just wanted you to know that I have not complained about the programme.

‘I am looking forward to the new series and can’t wait for it to start.’

Adding more fuel to the list of complaints BBC bosses are currently dealing with, it was revealed yesterday Paralympian Will Bayley and explorer Steve Backshall complained to the BBC about their Strictly pros.

British table tennis player Bayley, 36, competed on the 2019 series of the BBC dancing show with Janette Manrara, 40.

But he was forced to bow out early when he heard his leg ‘crack’ on his second attempt at jumping from a table in studio rehearsals – after he said Manrara said his first was ‘rubbish’.

And Backshall is said to have complained his partner Ola Jordan, 41, who is no longer on the show, ‘bullied’ him when he competed in 2014.

The bullying claims have reemerged during the time of crisis for the show amid various abuse scandals and a misconduct probe.

A representative for Manrara told the BBC: ‘Janette had a great time dancing with Will and one of her favourite moments on the show was doing their contemporary couples choice.

‘Her celebrity partner’s safety and enjoyment was always the priority throughout her time on Strictly.

‘Janette has never received any complaints and has maintained friendships with all her partners, including Will.’

After the comments were made the BBC said they are no longer going to engage in ‘speculation’.

A BBC spokesperson said: The BBC said: ‘We have longstanding protocols for dealing with injuries if they occur and that includes contestants receiving all necessary treatment and support as required.’

Today (TUES) Tim Davie will face questions as the BBC will face their annual report.

BBC Studios declined to comment.

It comes after questions were  raised over whether Strictly will survive as Manrara has broken her silence after Paralympian Will Bayley claimed she made him redo a jump that caused a lifelong injury – amid the latest drama for the ‘fatally tarnished’ show

A BBC spokesperson for the It Takes Two host said the professional dancer has never received any complaints regarding her training methods.

Table tennis player Bayley, 36, claimed he sustained a lifelong injury while jumping during a performance on the show and blamed his then-partner Janette.

A representative for Manrara told the BBC: ‘Janette had a great time dancing with Will and one of her favourite moments on the show was doing their contemporary couples choice. 

‘Her celebrity partner’s safety and enjoyment was always the priority throughout her time on Strictly. 

‘Janette has never received any complaints and has maintained friendships with all her partners, including Will.’

Bayley was born with arthrogryposis which limits the range of motion in the joints of his limbs and completed the move with straight knees. He opened up about the daily pain he suffers from over the weekend. 

A resurfaced clip aired during that year’s live shows has shown the devastating moment Will was curled up on the floor in pain after the jump.

The video heard Tess Daly explaining that Bayley had been injured and would not be dancing that week, as it cut to the sportsman lying on the floor in agony with a medic crouched down helping with first aid.

Manrara was also seen visibly distressed as she sat comforting her celebrity partner. In a later part of the video, Janette was herself consoled by fellow professional dancer Nancy Xu. 

‘I jumped off the table and as I landed, I landed with straight legs,’ Will said in the VT at the time. 

‘I thought I’d broke my leg because I’d never felt anything like it before but luckily it’s not as severe as what I thought when I first did it. 

‘To hear the words I ‘absolutely can’t dance’ is just really gutting for me but I need to recover now and come back even stronger next week.’ 

Will was given a week’s pass before he had to withdraw from the competition completely when his injury meant he would have to miss another live show. 

Recalling the ‘horrific pain’ he experienced as he crashed to the ground, the gold medallist, admitted he thought ‘his whole career was over.’

Earlier on Monday, the BBC broke their silence after Paralympian Bayley’s claims over the weekend.

He was left with excruciating knee pain after competing on the series. 

The BBC said: ‘We have longstanding protocols for dealing with injuries if they occur and that includes contestants receiving all necessary treatment and support as required.’ 

Speaking to The Sun, Bayley said: ‘We practiced a few times and I was really careful. But then Janette said my jump was ‘rubbish’ and I needed to smile more and go for it and show a bit of passion.’ 

Determined to improve, the sportsman ‘went for it’ but experienced ‘the most horrific pain.’

‘I was lying on the floor thinking my whole career was over. I heard my leg crack, I couldn’t breathe,’ he recounted. 

‘I’ll never get over that injury — you have it for life. I’ve already got a limiting disability but this on top of it. I wake up in the morning and it hurts. I can now only train for a couple hours before it’s sore.’ 

Bayley explained that he ‘didn’t have an issue with Janette’ but felt that she was under pressure from the show’s bosses. They have remained friends since their time on the series. 

A BBC spokesperson said: ‘We will not be commenting on individuals or engaging with speculation. However, as we have said previously we will always listen if people want to make us aware of something or raise it with us directly and we have appropriate procedures and processes in place to manage this.’

At the time of his injury, Bayley praised his dance partner for being ‘like a rock’ after his ‘incredible experience’ came to an end, leaving her in tears. 

He described hearing his knee ‘pop’ and thought he had broken his leg before a doctor told him he had torn his anterior cruciate ligament.

Appearing on the show as part of the audience, Bayley said : ‘I am so gutted but it’s so good to be here to support everyone, they’re all smashing it tonight. 

‘I feel like I’ve had the most support throughout this whole process, the least I can do is come back and I’m proud to watch you guys.’

He added: ‘It’s getting there I want to see what it’s like in a couple of weeks but I’ll be there in Tokyo I want to try and win that gold medal again.’

‘My highlight has having my partner Janette, she’s been like my rock to me I can’t speak highly of her enough.’

After recovering from his injury Will won both individual and team silver at the rearranged 2020 Tokyo Games in 2021.

Strictly has been plunged into chaos in recent weeks as a number of allegations of abuse from professionals have come to light.

The scandal erupted when actress Amanda Abbington quit the show last year before claiming that her partner Giovanni Pernice was abusive towards her – later leaving the show.

Soon after it emerged that Graziano Di Prima had been sacked for ‘kicking’ his partner Love Island star Zara McDermott.

Next an unnamed female Strictly dancer was brought into the scandal after it was reported that they screamed in their male partner’s face and berated him off-camera.

And on Monday two other professionals – Ola Jordan and Janette – were brought into the drama as the show was branded ‘fatally tarnished’ by one insider.

Amanda quit the show last year before claiming that her partner Giovanni was abusive towards her. He later left the show after vehemently denying all claims.

Amanda, 50, abruptly left the BBC show citing ‘personal issues’ and hasn’t been seen on screen since, even quitting social media last month in the wake of her former dance partner’s sacking.

Giovanni, 33, was suspended while a BBC probe is underway over allegations made by Amanda and two other former celebrity partners. 

Speaking in her first interview over the weekend since quitting Strictly in October, Amanda said Giovanni’s behaviour was ‘unnecessary.’

In an interview with The Sun, Amanda said: ‘I found Giovanni’s behaviour unnecessary, abusive, cruel and mean. I couldn’t sit back and let him do that to other people.’

Fellow Italian dancer Graziano Di Prima was sacked from the programme earlier this month after he was accused of kicking and spitting at Zara. 

Strictly bosses then announced plans to introduce chaperones during training, and the appointment of two new welfare producers, after Graziano’s shock sacking from the show.

Love Island star Zara broke her silence on the scandal last week. 

She wrote on Instagram on Tuesday morning that while much of her time on Strictly ‘was everything I could have dreamt of’ inside the training room with Graziano there were ‘particular incidents which are incredibly distressing’.

‘I felt it was right that I post something regarding the recent media reports,’ Zara began. ‘Strictly is one of the most magical shows on TV and one that I dreamt of being on since I was a little girl.’ 

Zara also admitted that she would’ve chosen a different dance partner on Strictly  than Graziano Di Prima in an unearthed interview.

A throwback clip of the pair has resurfaced, showing Zara voicing a desire to work with a different dancer instead.

Answering questions together with Grazia, Zara and Graziano were asked: ‘If you had to dance with another dancer/contestant for a week, who would you pick?’

Zara immediately said: ‘I know who I would pick, but you go first.’ 

But Graziano refused to pick someone and said: ‘See you later’ as he got up to storm off, while Zara insisted: ‘It’s a game! It is a game.’

But the Italian shot back: ‘Yeah but your brain went there anyway.’

Zara attempted to defend herself, saying she would have only chosen someone she thought was ‘really nice’.

She said: ‘Well no, but I’m just thinking if there was someone who I think is really nice, who I’d also get on with. If I had to dance with another dancer, it would probably Kai [Widdrington] because I really like Kai.’

In response, Graziano changed his answer and said: ‘If I could dance with someone it would probably be Layton [Williams],’ causing Zara to declare: ‘I knew you’d say that!’

And it is not just male dancers who are now facing allegations of abusive behaviour. 

Last week a celebrity who took part in the show claimed that a currently unnamed female Strictly dancer screamed in his face and berated him off-camera. 

The Daily Mirror reported that the household name’s allegations do not include physical abuse. 

A source said: ‘The man in question felt very much victimized by the behaviour of his Strictly partner.

‘He alleges that on several occasions she flew into a real fury when he couldn’t get the steps right, and on one occasion screamed full in his face. They rowed every single day.’

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

The hardened explorer and presenter, now 51, – who has dived with Great White sharks and wrestled poisonous snakes in his career – 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’.

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.

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’.