News

Gregg Wallace has stepped aside as the host of BBC MasterChef amid an investigation into historical allegations of misconduct.

In a statement, MasterChef producer Banijay UK said it was launching the external review after complaints were made to the BBC this week about Wallace’s behavior.

BBC News has published allegations Wallace made “inappropriate sexual comments” on five shows across a 17-year period. One of 13 people who made the allegations included Kirsty Wark, the former BBC Newsnight presenter who was a Celebrity MasterChef contestant in 2011.

Wark said Wallace told stories and made jokes of a “sexualized nature” on at least two occasions in front of colleagues and contestants. “People were uncomfortable,” she said.

In a letter to BBC News, Wallace’s lawyers denied he engaged in behavior of a “sexually harassing nature.” His spokesperson declined to comment beyond the Banijay UK statement.

“Whilst these complainants have not raised the allegations...

In dance competitions, injuries often happen. This is typically why a contestant would voluntarily withdraw from the competition. When Amanda Abbington withdrew from the show in Series 21, many Strictly Come Dancing fans felt concerned this was the reason. However, it seems the situation had to do more with her poor treatment.

After withdrawing just a few weeks into the competition, Abbington went on to accuse her partner Giovanni Pernice of “abusive, cruel, and mean” behavior behind the scenes. BBC launched an investigation and has now come forward with the results.

Strictly Come Dancing & BBC Formally Apologize To Amanda Abbington

After the allegations against Giovanni Pernice came out, The Sun reported he quit the show.

“Gio feels the scrutiny on him has become too much, and now is the time to make a fresh start,” a source reportedly told the publication. “… He remains adamant he’s done nothing wrong other than being a hard taskmaster,...

The BBC has apologized to “Sherlock” actor Amanda Abbington after upholding some of her complaints regarding bullying on competition series “Strictly Come Dancing.”

“Strictly,” the U.K. equivalent of “Dancing With the Stars,” is one of the broadcaster’s most popular and longest-running formats. But it has been mired in controversy former contestants, including Abbington, claimed they had been bullied and harassed on the show.

The BBC said it would investigate after Abbington made specific allegations regarding her dance partner Giovanni Pernice. Now the corporation has confirmed it has “upheld some, but not all, of the complaints made.” The report did not find Pernice guilty of threatening or abusive behavior.

“We want to apologise to Amanda Abbington and to thank her for coming forward and taking part,” the statement continued. “We know this would not have been an easy thing to do.”

Earlier this summer Abbington said she was still...

The BBC has concluded its review into ex-professional dancer Giovanni Pernice on its beloved reality dance show Strictly Come Dancing after actress Amanda Abbington accused him of “mean and abusive” behavior.

The show — which operates on the same premise as the U.S. show Dancing With the Stars — is a staple of British television, but the broadcaster unveiled new welfare precautions in July after complaints were made about two dancers, including Pernice.

Graziano Di Prima also left the program when an Instagram statement from reality star Zara McDermott, who was assigned Di Prima as her dance partner in last year’s series, said watching videos of her time on the show was “incredibly distressing.” Di Prima apologized and said he “deeply regrets” his actions. “My intense passion and determination to win might have affected my training regime,” the 30-year-old Italian added. Pernice, meanwhile, has refuted the claims against him, telling supporters: “I will be back.

The BBC has apologized to Amanda Abbington after the Sherlock actress claimed that she was bullied by her Strictly Come Dancing partner Giovanni Pernice on last year’s show.

The British broadcaster has concluded a months-long investigation into Abbington’s complaints and, in a ruling announced on Monday, partially upheld some of her concerns.

In a statement, the BBC said: “We have assessed the complaints and we have upheld some, but not all, of the complaints made. We want to apologize to Amanda Abbington and to thank her for coming forward and taking part. We know this would not have been an easy thing to do.”

The BBC was not specific about what complaints had been upheld and it is unlikely to say more because of its confidentiality policies.

Pernice has consistently denied wrongdoing and in a statement on Monday, his representatives said the review found no evidence of “threatening or abusive” behavior.

The BBC is “pretty close” to finalizing an investigation into Amanda Abbington’s allegations that she was mistreated by her Strictly Come Dancing partner Giovanni Pernice.

BBC director general Tim Davie told the Rts London Convention that the corporation is on the brink of ruling on Abbington’s concerns, although he did not commit to publishing the findings.

There was some hope that the investigation could be finalized before the new season of Strictly Come Dancing got underway on Saturday, but Davie said the BBC was unable to hit the deadline.

“Many things in life would be useful, but we have to do the process,” he told Amol Rajan, presenter of BBC Radio 4’s Today show.

In October 2023, Abbington, an actress best known for her work as Mary Watson in BBC drama Sherlock, abruptly quit Season 21 of Strictly citing “personal reasons.”

She later engaged Carter Ruck, the aggressive London law firm,...

As Huw Edwards stood for his sentencing after pleading guilty to accessing child abuse images, he clasped his hands and projected a neutral expression. It was a pose millions of BBC viewers will have seen Edwards strike countless times as the seasoned presenter delivered the day’s headlines. His audience on this occasion, however, was a courtroom.

The 63-year-old news anchor was ultimately spared jail after a judge ruled that his guilty plea, remorse, exemplary professional record, and existential mental health struggles were mitigation enough for a suspended sentence. Some believe Edwards is lucky not to be behind bars after viewing unspeakably indecent images of children as young as seven, but as the judge unsparingly reminded him, his reputation and career prospects are in tatters.

Soon after Edwards walked out of Westminster Magistrates’ Court a registered sex offender, the thoughts of some of his former colleagues shifted to the next...

Dancing With The Stars fans were shocked and appalled yesterday to learn that Season 29 champion Artem Chigvintsev was arrested on domestic battery charges. The arrest came just days after he and former WWE superstar Nikki Garcia celebrated their wedding anniversary in Napa.

So far, the family has stayed silent about the incident and subsequent arrest on social media. Fans remain concerned for Nikki, their son Matteo, and the family overall.

But Artem Chigvintsev’s arrest is also prompting the public to examine his past behavior more closely.

This Isn’t The First Time Artem Chigvintsev Was Accused Of Violent Behavior

TMZ broke the shocking news regarding Artem’s arrest. As of the morning of August 30, there are still many unknowns regarding the violent situation. The victim’s identity is still also unknown, but police records indicate it was either his spouse or someone living in the home.

While the public waits for updates,...

BBC director general Tim Davie has said that the corporation has been “let down” by the scandals involving Huw Edwards and Jermaine Jenas.

In an email to staff, the BBC’s boss bemoaned a string of misconduct sagas, which have also embroiled Strictly Come Dancing, the broadcaster’s biggest show.

Davie told colleagues that it had been a “demanding” few months for the BBC, but lessons will be learned and the corporation’s workplace culture will be improved.

“The shocking news about Huw Edwards, and other stories concerning some of our high-profile shows, have put the BBC in the spotlight,” Davie said in an email.

“It can be challenging for us all when the BBC becomes the headline. We work for this wonderful organisation because we care about what it stands for and the role it plays in society. I know we have all felt let down and worried about the impact on the BBC.

Does Strictly Come Dancing have much of a future left? Judge Craig Revel Horwood expressed concern that the show might have too many regulations and restrictions moving forward.

Horwood’s comments come after an ongoing scandal involving pro dancer Graziano Di Prima. He allegedly kicked his celebrity partner, Zara McDermott, last series. Now, Strictly executives want to institute protective measures to ensure the safety of everyone in the rehearsal room.

Will Strictly overstep and ruin the show? Or are these measures the best course of action moving forward?

Strictly Come Dancing Judge Craig Revel Horwood Shares His Personal Thoughts

No one can say for sure what the future holds for Strictly Come Dancing. However, Craig Revel Horwood made his own thoughts very clear about increased security measures.

Craig Revel Horwood/Instagram

“When I’m teaching casts for shows in rehearsals, I still have to be quite strict. I think you have to be,...

Strictly Come Dancing’s longest standing judge has urged that, despite all the controversy around the BBC show, dancers remain strict with their celebrity partners, lest the series become “watered down and vanilla.”

Dancer and choreographer Craig Revel Horwood, who has been with the BBC show since its inception in 2004, has spoken amidst ongoing controversy regarding allegations of bad behaviour by professional dancers behind the scenes and in the rehearsal studios.

In an interview with The Sun newspaper, Revel Horwood said of the celebs due to take part in this year’s forthcoming series:

“You just have to be able to take some criticism. Otherwise, we’re living in a world where no one is criticised, and it will become watered down and vanilla, where no one’s trying.”

“I hope the standards don’t drop this year.

“When I’m teaching casts for shows in rehearsals, I still have to be quite strict.

Match of the Day and The One Show star Jermaine Jenas has been removed from the BBC’s presenting team amid reports of inappropriate behavior.

On Thursday afternoon, a BBC spokesperson said: “We can confirm that he is no longer part of our presenting line-up.”

Jenas has also been removed from agency Mc Saatchi’s website. Deadline has contacted Mc Saatchi for comment.

The Sun and The Daily Mail said the former England footballer was sacked for “inappropriate behavior,” while BBC News is reporting that there were concerns over his “workplace conduct.”

A rep for Jenas said on behalf of the former footballer: “Right now I can’t talk about it…I can tell you I’m not happy – there are two sides to every story – and I’m going to be speaking with my lawyers on the issue.”

BBC News said that complaints were made about Jenas a few weeks ago.

The actress whose complaints against her dance partner ignited the wave of bad press around the BBC’s entertainment show Strictly Come Dancing “fears the BBC will bury its own findings,” according to the UK press this weekend.

A friend of Amanda Abbington, who withdrew from the 2023 series and later alleged she had been subject to abuse by her dance partner Giovanni Pernice, told The Mirror newspaper that the BBC didn’t publish their findings of an internal investigation because they were due to be revealed the same week former star newsreader Huw Edwards appeared in court over making child abuse images, and “they didn’t want two catastrophes in one week.”

The unnamed friend added to The Mirror: “They delayed it because of Edwards. We can’t imagine they’ll do anything apart from carry on sitting on it and try to bury the investigation.”

Pernice left the...

Former Strictly Come Dancing star Graziano Di Prima is speaking out weeks after parting ways with the show amid a violent behind-the-scenes scandal. Although he previously apologized for the incident, his new statement paints a different picture of events.

Graziano Di Prima Alleges He Was Never Violent On Strictly Come Dancing

As many Strictly fans know, Graziano Di Prima is out after reportedly kicking his Series 21 dance partner, Love Island star Zara McDermott.

Zara McDermott/Instagram

“There is never a time when kicking, or any sense of that is right,” Di Prima’s representative told BBC at the time. “He knows he’s made a mistake. He apologised at the time.”

But now, it seems like the dancer might be walking back his public apology. Di Prima also issued a public apology on Instagram at the time, taking ownership of the situation. However, he has since deleted the post.

In a new interview,...

The Strictly Come Dancing professional dancer fired by the BBC following allegations that he had kicked his celebrity partner has given his first interview, saying that he never assaulted his partner, and that the “vile, false allegations had ruined his life in a matter of minutes.”

Graziano Di Prima was fired from the show after claims that he had assaulted television presenter Zara McDermott during rehearsals for last year’s season. The allegations included kicking, hitting and spitting, and Di Prima made a public apology on his departure, saying that his competitive training regime had sometimes led him to make mistakes.

This weekend, in an interview with the Daily Mail newspaper from his native Italy where he has returned to live, the dancer says:

The BBC will not tell him exactly what he is accused of, because of their obligations to maintain the confidentiality of other parties That he once kicked the floor in frustration,...

Love Island, The Traitors, Love Is Blind: they’re so popular, they’ve gone global. Reality TV is an ever-evolving beast that can guarantee hefty viewership with the promise of drama. But show bosses in the U.K. are facing an influx of concerns surrounding the welfare of their contestants and crew. A two-pronged problem has emerged.

On Tuesday last week, the BBC confirmed a myriad of welfare measures are to be put in place on its beloved dance competition series Strictly Come Dancing — watched by an average of 6.6 million people per episode in 2023 — after two former professionals on the show had exited following allegations of “gross misconduct.”

Tim Davie, the broadcaster’s director-general, issued an apology as the company’s annual report was released. Though he did not refer to any specific competitors or employees, he spoke about “a degree of competitiveness, hard work and will to do...

“Sherlock” actor Amanda Abbington says she is suffering from Ptsd and still struggles to talk about her experience after taking part in BBC primetime dance competition “Strictly Come Dancing.”

Recounting her experience with professional dancer Giovanni Pernice on last year’s series, whom she accuses of bullying and abuse, Abbington told Channel 4 News: “When I talk about certain aspects of what happened in the room, I do cry, I do get emotional, I do shake. Because it was awful.”

Abbington appeared on the 21st season of the show (which is known as “Dancing With the Stars” in the U.S.), before withdrawing after five episodes. At the time she cited unspecified medical reasons.

The actor has since admitted that while a medical incident was the final straw, her experience with Pernice was “abusive” and “cruel,” leading to her pulling out.

“I went into thinking this is going to be hard work,...

The BBC’s director general has issued an apology following the allegations of “gross misconduct” against two former professional dancers on Strictly Come Dancing.

The beloved reality dance competition — which operates on the same premise as the U.S.’ Dancing With the Stars — is a staple of British television, but the broadcaster last week unveiled new welfare precautions after complaints were made about two dancers.

Strictly fan-favorites Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima will not return for this year’s series, as the channel pledged two new dedicated welfare producers as part of a string of extra measures on set.

The new position follows an Instagram statement from reality star Zara McDermott, who was assigned Di Prima as her dance partner in last year’s series. She described watching videos back of her time on the show as “incredibly distressing.” Sherlock‘s Amanda Abbington, who left the show early in October,...

The boss of the BBC has apologized for the Strictly Come Dancing scandal, saying “with the benefit of hindsight we should have done more” but positing that this year’s contestants are “itching to get going.”

Tim Davie was asked mounds of questions by journalists about the scandal, the current review into allegations, duty of care procedures and the upcoming season during the Q&a session of today’s BBC Annual Report.

“I’m very sorry that anyone has had an experience on Strictly that hasn’t been wholly positive,” he said. “That is something we do reflect on and I am sorry about that.”

Two dancers have exited Strictly in recent weeks amid its biggest crisis in the juggernaut’s 20-year history, which has caused a tightening of protocols that will now see all rehearsals policed by a member of production staff. Graziano Di Prima left after it was...

Following ongoing reports of the Strictly Come Dancing scandal, Dancing With the Stars may implement tighter policies for safeguarding its cast and crew.

Strictly Come Dancing, a British dance competition show, debuted in 2004.

Dancing With the Stars, based on Strictly Come Dancing, began in the United States a year later. In addition to the U.S. version, Strictly led to the creation of many international versions of DWTS, all licensed by BBC Worldwide.

Deadline reported remarks made by a spokesman for BBC Studios indicating that “new measures being introduced in the UK” will contribute to the “ongoing dialogue” about international versions of the show.

According to the report, the U.S. version of DWTS already has strong safeguard processes in place.

However, Deadline reported that these discussions could potentially tighten current protocols for the U.S. dance competition show due to allegations against several fired Strictly Come Dancing dancers.

Fired...

Dancing With The Stars is about to look very different behind the scenes this fall. Its parent show, the UK’s Strictly Come Dancing, is facing a violent scandal at the moment. Now, it seems that it’s having a trickle-down effect on spin-off shows like DWTS.

Naturally, everyone wants to ensure the safety of all performers. What could changes look like?

DWTS Wants To Avoid Another Violent Situation At All Costs

Strictly Come Dancing pro Graziano Di Prima and his partner, Love Island contestant Zara McDermott, performed on Series 21 together. But their partnership was anything but a match made in heaven. Di Prima confessed to kicking McDermott during their time in the rehearsal room.

He parted ways with Strictly and also apologized on Instagram.

“I deeply regret the events that led to my departure from Strictly. My intense passion and determination to win might have affected my training regime,...

Popular British dance competition show Strictly Come Dancing has a massive problem on its hands right now.

With such a large cast of dynamic personalities, it’s only natural that disagreements will pop up now and then. But recently, a pro dancer confirmed he parted ways with the show after he kicked his celebrity partner during rehearsals.

What exactly happened?

Strictly Come Dancing Parts Ways With A Pro After Violent Incident

Incidents happen backstage during any competition show. But one Strictly dancer is under fire after admitting he was violent with his celebrity partner.

Shirley Ballas/Instagram

Strictly Come Dancing pro Graziano Di Prima and Love Island contestant Zara McDermott competed together on Series 21. However, they didn’t have such a positive experience with one another. During rehearsals, Di Prima apparently got angry with McDermott and kicked her.

Needless to say, there wasn’t a place for him on the show moving forward.

Strictly Come Dancing’s bad week of PR just got a bit worse, with one of the show’s most popular judges now being investigated for a remark he made while working as a dancer on the show.

One of the UK’s most popular TV entertainment shows with versions in more than 60 territories around the world, Strictly has weathered a mushrooming number of claims from former contestants that the family-friendly, happy atmosphere on screen enjoyed by millions of viewers is not reflected in the behaviour by the professional dancers to their partners behind the scenes.

Now The Sun reports that one of the Strictly’s most popular faces, Anton Du Beke – who was a dancer on the show from its beginning in 2004, before being made a judge in 2021 – is facing fresh criticism for his remark made in 2009 when he was competing on the show. When faced with his celebrity...

Strictly Come Dancing enjoys a unique status on British television. The beloved BBC show has been woven into the fabric of the nation for 20 years, with a peerless record in gathering families on the sofa and delivering a sequin-embroidered burst of light and energy as nights draw in for winter. It consistently ranks among the UK’s highest-rated shows, has forged national treasures of its stars, and spawned 60 international imitations, not least ABC’s Dancing With The Stars. The other remarkable thing about Strictly is that it boasts a virtually unblemished record when it comes to scandal. Put simply, it has always been the BBC’s golden child. Until now.

The show has been the subject of simmering bullying and misconduct concerns for months, and the allegations finally hit boiling point this week, prompting the BBC to fire a professional dancer and make tweaks to Strictly’s production regime. The...

Exclusive: Conversations over the tightening of protocols on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars are taking place in the wake of this week’s Strictly Come Dancing scandal, Deadline has been told.

A spokesman for BBC Studios said “new measures being introduced in the UK” will contribute to an “ongoing dialogue” around international versions of the show, of which there are dozens including in the States. While there are strong safeguarding processes already in place on Dancing with the Stars U.S., we understand additional measures could be implemented.

The new Strictly protocols were unveiled three days ago after a second dancer, Graziano Di Prima, exited the show over allegations of inappropriate behavior towards a partner. All future Strictly rehearsals will now be policed by a member of production staff. Meanwhile, two new dedicated welfare producers will be brought in and there will be additional training for the production team and crew.

There will be changes made during the production of the U.K. reality dance show, Strictly Come Dancing (aka Dancing with the Stars). The BBC has introduced welfare measures to protect both celebrities and dancers, following misconduct claims, which led to the exit of two of the show's dancers, Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima. Contestants have raised 'distressing' concerns when it came to their dance partners, which both Pernice and Di Prima have denied.

The BBC has confirmed a chaperone will be present for every rehearsal of the U.K.’s beloved celebrity dance show, Strictly Come Dancing, following complaints about the behavior of two former professionals.

Strictly fan-favorites Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima will not return for this year’s series, as the channel pledges two new dedicated welfare producers as part of a string of extra measures on set.

The new position follows an Instagram statement from ex-reality star Zara McDermott, who was assigned Di Prima as her dance partner in last year’s series. She described watching videos back of her time on the show as “incredibly distressing.”

“I have wrestled with the fear of opening up. I was scared about public backlash. I was scared about my future. I was scared of victim shaming,” McDermott said. “But after a lot of conversations with those I love, I’ve gained...

All future Strictly Come Dancing rehearsals will be policed by a member of production staff following a duo of high-profile complaints that has seen two dancers exit the show.

The BBC and producer BBC Studios are bringing in new measures to avoid a repeat of the complaints, with two dedicated welfare producers also set to be brought in and additional training for the production team and crew.

The BBC said that a member of the Strictly production staff will be placed in all future rehearsals from now on, with the show entering its 20th year.

“Whilst we know our shows have been positive experiences for the vast majority of those who have taken part, if issues are raised with us, or we’re made aware of inappropriate behaviour, we will always take that seriously and act,” said Kate Phillips, the BBC’s unscripted boss. “Concerns that have arisen have been...

Ex-Strictly contestant Zara McDermott has broken her silence on the firing of her former partner Graziano Di Prima, saying that watching videos back of her time on the show has been “incredibly distressing.”

Di Prima has left the lineup of the BBC stalwart this year after allegations of “gross misconduct” against one of his female celebrity partners, which was quickly revealed to be McDermott, a former Love Island contestant who has helmed a number of BBC documentaries. Di Prima has apologized and said he “deeply regrets the events.”

Posting on Instagram today, McDermott said: “I have wrestled with the fear of opening up – I was scared about public backlash, I was scared about my future, I was scared of victim shaming. But after a lot of conversations with those I love, I’ve gained the strength to face these fears, and when I was asked to speak to the BBC,...

The BBC has confirmed one of the most popular dancing stars of its entertainment juggernaut show Strictly Come Dancing will be leaving the lineup, following allegations of “gross misconduct” against one of his female celebrity partners.

Graziano Di Prima announced yesterday on Instagram that he would be leaving the show, where he has been one of the professional dancers since 2018.

He said:

“I deeply regret the events that led to my departure from Strictly. My intense passion and determination to win might have affected my training regime. Respecting the BBC Hr(Human Resources) process, I understand that it’s best for the show that I step away. While there are aspects of this story involving external influences that I can’t discuss at this time, I remain to committed to being strong for my family and friends. I wish the Strictly family and the BBC nothing but success in the future.

The latest celebrity to be eliminated from Strictly Come Dancing has been revealed.

Saturday night’s results show (3 December) aired a day earlier than usual due to the BBC’s coverage of the World Cup.

Actor and singer Kym Marsh left the BBC competition after a dance-off with Molly Rainford.

Craif Revel Horwood and Motsi Mabuse opted to save Rainford after both couples performed their routines again, with Anton Du Beke saving Marsh.

Head judge Shirley Ballas saved Rainford, sending Marsh home – but all the judges said it was a “difficult” decision.

Speaking about the result, Marsh, who missed last week’s show due to Covid, said: “Honestly I’ve loved every single second that I’ve been here. I never thought I’d get to this stage, in a million years. I have to say, it’s all down to this man [Graziano Di Prima] here, he is just...

Strictly Come Dancing 2022 is in full flow, with this year’s celebrity contestants continuing to battle it out to win the Glitter Ball trophy.

On Friday (2 December), the series aired a day earlier due to the BBC’s Qatar World Cup coverage.

During the episode, the six remaining couples battled for a place in the semi-final.

However, nobody scored a perfect 10 like Fleur East did in week eight after scoring the first perfect 40 of the series.

The joint leaders of the evening were Helen Skelton and Will Mellor.

See all the scores below...

Week 10 leaderboard

=1. Helen Skelton and Gorka Marquez (9+10+10+10) = 39

=1. Will Mellor and Nancy Xu (9+10+10+10) = 39

=3. Fleur East and Vito Coppola (9+10+9+10) = 38

=3. Molly Rainford and Carlos Gu (9+10+10+9) = 38

4. Hamza Yassin and Jowita Przystal (9+9+9+9) = 36

5. Kym Marsh and Graziano Di Prima (8+9+9+8) = 34

Strictly Come Dancing continues Sunday 20 November at 7.20pm on BBC One.

Read More

Strictly’s problem with women is deeper than Shirley Ballas

‘I...

Kym Marsh will not compete in the next episode of Strictly Come Dancing after testing positive for Covid.

In a statement released by the BBC on Tuesday (22 November), the broadcaster announced that the former Coronation Street actor and her professional partner Graziano Di Prima will be absent from Saturday’s (26 November) show.

“Kym Marsh has tested positive for Covid-19,” the message begins. “As a result, Kym and Graziano will not be taking part in Strictly Come Dancing this weekend.

“Strictly Come Dancing protocols mean that all being well, they will return the following week.”

A spokesperson confirmed to The Independent that the programme is set to continue as usual, meaning that one couple will still leave the competition after a public vote.

Including Marsh and Di Prima, there are seven couples remaining in the current season.

The most recent celebrity to leave the competition was Tyler West and his professional partner,...

Strictly Come Dancing 2022 is in full flow, with this year’s celebrity contestants continuing to battle it out to win the Glitter Ball trophy.

Saturday (19 November) night’s episode saw the competition really heating up as Strictly returned to the Blackpool Tower Ballroom for the first time since 2019.

With the eight remaining couples facing new challenges as they performed on the huge, sprung stage and were joined by backing dancers for their routines – much to the frustration of the viewers – the scores were high too.

Fleur East convinced Craig Revel Horwood to finally get his 10 paddle out as she scored the first perfect 40 of the series with her Couple’s Choice routine.

She was closely followed by Helen Skelton and Hamza Yassin, while Ellie Taylor is at the bottom of the leaderboard.

See all the scores below...

Week eight leaderboardFleur East and Vito Coppola (10+10+10+10) = 39Helen Skelton and Gorka Marquez (9+10+10+10) = 39Hamza...

Strictly Come Dancing 2022 is in full flow, with this year’s celebrity contestants continuing to battle it out to win the Glitter Ball trophy.

The latest episode was broadcast on Saturday (12 November), and saw the competition really heating up.

During the episode, Tony Adams did some quite astonishing roly-polies, while Will Mellor danced for his late father and Fleur East made Motsi Mabuse cry with her Samba.

East topped the leaderboard this week with Adams sitting at the bottom.

See all the scores below...

Week eight leaderboardFleur East and Vito Coppola (9+10+10+10) = 39Will Mellor and Nancy Xu (9+10+10+9) = 38Hamza Yassin and Jowita Przystal (8+10+10+10) = 38Molly Rainford and Carlos Gu (9+9+10+9) = 37Helen Skelton and Gorka Marquez (8+8+8+8) = 32Ellie Taylor and Johannes Radebe (7+8+8+8) = 31Tyler West and Dianne Buswell (6+8+8+9) = 31Kym Marsh and Graziano Di Prima (8+7+8+8) = 31Tony Adams and Katya Jones (4+6+7+7) = 24 Read More

Aaron Carter recalls bedroom incident with Michael Jackson in posthumous memoir

Emma Thompson says she was...

Strictly Come Dancing 2022 is in full flow, with this year’s celebrity contestants continuing to battle it out to win the Glitter Ball trophy.

The latest episode was broadcast on Saturday (5 November), and saw some favourites stumble for the first time.

During the episode, Ellie Taylor apologised to her professional partner Johannes Radebe after receiving “cruel” judges’ comments for their performance.

This week, Hamza Yassin, Kym Marsh and Helen Skelton impressed the judges, while Ellie Taylor and Tyler West were forced to deal with some harsh feedback.

See all the scores below...

Week six leaderboard

1. Hamza Yassin and Jowita PrzystaÅ.

2. Kym Marsh and Graziano Di Prima

3. Helen Skelton and Gorka Marquez

4. Molly Rainford and Carlos Gu

5. Fleur East and Vito Coppola

6. Ellie Simmonds and Nikita Kuzmin

7. Will Mellor and Nancy Xu

8. Tyler West and Dianne Buswell

9. Ellie Taylor and Johannes Radebe

10. Tony Adams and Katya Jones

Read More

Ian Hislop...

Strictly Come Dancing 2022 is in full flow, with this year’s celebrity contestants continuing to battle it out to win the Glitter Ball trophy.

The latest episode was broadcast on Saturday (5 November), and saw some favourites stumble for the first time.

During the episode, Ellie Taylor apologised to her professional partner Johannes Radebe after receiving “cruel” judges’ comments for their performance.

This week, Hamza Yassin, Kym Marsh and Helen Skelton impressed the judges, while Ellie Taylor and Tyler West were forced to deal with some harsh feedback.

See all the scores below...

Week six leaderboard

1. Hamza Yassin and Jowita PrzystaÅ.

2. Kym Marsh and Graziano Di Prima

3. Helen Skelton and Gorka Marquez

4. Molly Rainford and Carlos Gu

5. Fleur East and Vito Coppola

6. Ellie Simmonds and Nikita Kuzmin

7. Will Mellor and Nancy Xu

8. Tyler West and Dianne Buswell

9. Ellie Taylor and Johannes Radebe

10. Tony Adams and Katya Jones

Read More

Ian Hislop...

Strictly Come Dancing is set to pay tribute to the BBC’s 100 years this weekend.

The main show on Saturday (22 October) will see each couple dance to a theme tune to a BBC show, or a song heavily featured on the broadcast network.

This will mark the first time that Strictly has based its entire week’s theme on the corporation.

The episode will begin with a group number that will show the Strictly professionals and judges gate crash some of the BBC’s best-known shows.

With several of this year’s celebrity contenders being stars of BBC shows, this week’s theme will feature some of them dancing to the songs that have been a large part of their careers.

James Bye, who plays Martin Fowler in EastEnders, will dance the foxtrot with Amy Dowden to the soap’s theme tune.

Wildlife presenter and cameraman Hamza Yassin, who achieved...

The third celebrity has been eliminated fromStrictly Come Dancing.

A sparkly live show on Saturday (15 October) saw the stars return to the dance floor for another week, with Craig Revel Horwood saying the celebrities had improved so much it was as if they’d taken a “dancing pill”.

Hamza Yassin and Jowita Przystal emerged at the top spot with a total of 39 points, with Fleur East and Vito Coppola coming in second place with 38 points.

Meanwhile, Matt Goss and Nadiya Bychkova found themselves at the bottom with only 20 points.

The judges’ scores were added with the results of the viewers’ votes to decide the lowest scoring two couples facing the dance off.

Sunday night’s (16 October) results show saw Goss and Bychkova facing off against Kym Marsh and Graziano Di Prima in the dreaded dance-off.

Both couples performed their routines again: Marsh and Di Prima performed their Samba to “Volare” by Gipsy Kings,...

Strictly Come Dancing is back on our screens, with a new batch of contestants learning the art of ballroom dancing for the first time.

The BBC competition series returned on Saturday (24 September), with 15 celebrities hitting the dance floor with their pro partners for the first time.

It was a night of varying dance abilities, with Will Mellor and Hamza Yassin sharing the top spot on the leaderboard with an impressive 34 out of 40 marks each.

Tony Adams, meanwhile, is currently at the bottom end with just 15 poionts for his Arsenal-themed tango.

However, everything could still change during Saturday (1 October) night’s show, as the scores from last week will be added to the marks gained by the contestants for their second dances.

The new leaderboard will then be combined with the public votes, with the bottom two couples facing the dreaded dance off and the first couple leaving the competition.

The partnerships for Strictly Come Dancing 2022 have been revealed.

The reality competition series returned to our screens on Friday (23 September) night, with a launch show in which the celebrity contestants learnt which professional dancers they would be coupled up with.

The celebrities also performed together in a group number.

The first Strictly live show will take place on Saturday (24 September), with all 15 couples hitting the dance floor for their first routines.

Meet your Strictly Come Dancing couples below...

Ellie Simmonds and Nikita Kuzmin

Paralympic medallist Ellie Simmonds will be dancing with Nikita Kuzmin. You can find out more about her here.

Kuzman made his Strictly debut in 2021, when he was partnered with Tilly Ramsay.

Asked by Tess Daley what it meant to represent people with dwarfism on Strictly, Simmonds said: “It means everything, to represent not just dwarfism but disability in general, for me to go out of my comfort...

British double Olympic gold medalist boxer Nicola Adams is set to make history by being the first contestant to be part of a female same-sex dance team on BBC’s ballroom show “Strictly Come Dancing,” the format known as “Dancing With the Stars” in many international markets. The identify of her dance partner is yet to be disclosed.

In 2019, male professional dancers Johannes Radebe and Graziano di Prima performed a routine while Emeli Sandé sang. This attracted 189 complaints from members of the public. “ ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ is an inclusive show and is proud to have been able to facilitate the dance between Johannes and Graziano during the Professionals’ dance,” the BBC had stated then. “They are dancers first and foremost, and their sex had no bearing on their routine.”

“People might know me from work in the ring, but I’ll be every bit as passionate and dedicated on the dance-floor too,...

The first same-sex dance on Strictly Come Dancing, the BBC version of Dancing With The Stars, sparked nearly 200 complaints earlier this month from viewers who indicated they were offended.

The routine between professional dancers Johannes Radebe and Graziano di Prima was broadcast on November 3 as part of Strictly Come Dancing: The Results, in which a celebrity is voted off the show.

The performance compelled 189 people to register their dissatisfaction with the BBC, according to a complaints report published last week. The reason given by the BBC: “Offensive to feature two men dancing as a pair.”

The BBC is yet to feature a same-sex couple competing in the competition, but said it was proud of the routine between Radebe and di Prima. A spokesman said: “Strictly Come Dancing is an inclusive show and is proud to have been able to facilitate the dance between Johannes and Graziano during the professionals’ dance.