Strictly Come Dancing 2024

[Everything Goes]

Tory Tim Davie says the show must go on...

Strictly Come Dancing: BBC boss says sorry over complaints

"Unacceptable behaviour" will not be tolerated on Strictly Come Dancing, the director general warns.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[krtek a houby]

Disclaimer - don't watch the show, but what the fuck is wrong with people?

Amanda Abbington reveals death threats after pulling out of Strictly

Actor has since alleged her dance partner Giovanni Pernice was ‘unnecessary, abusive, cruel and mean’

www.theguardian.com

Tldr?

Mother and daughter face rape and death threats because of the depressing deep seated hatred and misogyny and the sheer wrongness of some people.

 

[Everything Goes]

This does look very much like a BBC cover up, perhaps we shouldn't be surprised.

There are 50 hours of video footage that the BBC have blocked Abbingtons lawyer from accessing. Probably to protect Giovanni and the BBC.

Strictly Come Dancing: Amanda Abbington says 50 hours of footage being 'blocked' which Giovanni Pernice 'doesn't want anyone to see'

Pernice strongly denies Abbington's claims of "unnecessary, abusive, cruel and mean" behaviour and says he looks "forward to clearing [his] name" amid an ongoing BBC investigation.

news.sky.com

 

[pbsmooth]

It also looks like a BBC pile-on from the usual suspects... which is pretty much my main reason for hoping it keeps going.
Some of the stories sound shocking but some sound, well, less so, and maybe celebs signed up for something that was a bit tougher physically than they thought. Not all of these news stories feel like abuse; rather some is everyone being pushed a bit too far physically. Not right but not sky falling in either.

 

[Everything Goes]

Katya Virshilas gives some inside information on SCD.



So she questions how the BBC's recent announcement, that a member of production staff will now chaperone rehearsals, will make a difference.

"I would say 80% of the time, more, they have a camera person with you because they don't want to miss anything, bad or good... if there's definitely drama brewing, for sure there will be cameras... [so] there are chaperones [already], you have the crew, you have a camera there."

Virshilas left the show in 2012, after three years.

Former Strictly star Katya Virshilas says bosses have prioritised 'looks' and 'tricks' over dance teaching

Katya Virshilas, who was a professional dancer on Strictly Come Dancing for three seasons from 2009 to 2011, has spoken out about her time on the series.

news.sky.com

 

[Everything Goes]

More allegations, the BBC are taking a "I know nothing" approach to this lot.

Fresh crisis at ‘toxic’ Strictly as ex-staff claim they faced sexualised comments and cruelty

Production workers at Strictly Come Dancing allege BBC refused to take their complaints seriously

www.theguardian.com

 

[pbsmooth]

So they’ve found someone who worked on the show 7 years ago who thought the atmosphere was a bit “tense”… ok…

 

[belboid]

So they’ve found someone who worked on the show 7 years ago who thought the atmosphere was a bit “tense”… ok…

they found three people, one of whom worked seven years ago and said it was 'tense' and 'toxic.' Others complained of the sexism and sexualisation and a third about the inconsistency of management which could become bullying in instances. Backed up by a failure of BBC procedures to ensure that all complaints could be heard out properly.

It's a bit weak for the lead, but it's certainly a notable addition to the ongoing story.

 

[Everything Goes]

Today we have Laura Whitmore.

Whitmore does not name the "individual" in her statement.

"I initially raised concerns back in 2016," she wrote. "I thought my experience was specific to me but I've since learned I was wrong.

"The aim of this is to show a pattern of behaviour that I believe needs to stop."

She said: "I am not looking for anything, just an acceptance that what happened to me in the rehearsal rooms during my time on BBC Strictly was wrong and that it won't happen to anyone else again."

Laura Whitmore alleges 'inappropriate behaviour' on Strictly Come Dancing

The television presenter says she wants to set the record straight.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Happy Tree]

You'd never have got this under Brucie. He ran a tight ship.

 

[MrsArcanum]

A few problems seem to have occurred.

One - a forgetfulness that these are professional dancers who are highly competitive.
Two - more tricks and show dancing.
Three - expectations by the production team for the celebrities = too much time rehearsing.

 

[Me76]

Today we have Laura Whitmore.

Whitmore does not name the "individual" in her statement.

"I initially raised concerns back in 2016," she wrote. "I thought my experience was specific to me but I've since learned I was wrong.

"The aim of this is to show a pattern of behaviour that I believe needs to stop."

She said: "I am not looking for anything, just an acceptance that what happened to me in the rehearsal rooms during my time on BBC Strictly was wrong and that it won't happen to anyone else again."

Laura Whitmore alleges 'inappropriate behaviour' on Strictly Come Dancing

The television presenter says she wants to set the record straight.

www.bbc.co.uk

Hmm, another Gio partner.

 

[pbsmooth]

Apparently Giovanni has a ‘dossier’ ready for why the Abingdon claims are false. Seems along the lines of her saying “I’m a right pain in the neck surprised you haven’t lost your temper with me”.

 

[Looby]

Amanda could well be a pain in the arse but that doesn’t mean she wasn’t mistreated.

There’s something about victims needing to be perfect that is abhorrent.

 

[InArduisFouette]

Well no, I'd say that's an inflated conclusion, though I am conscious that the BBC has muddled and mishandled what Strictly actually is. Aljaz or Neil are not abusing young women, I guarantee that.

The very first series was an off-shoot of Sport Relief, itself an off-shoot of Comic Relief. What it initially grew into was a standard reality competition programme.

What I think went wrong was how it inflated into an almost guaranteed part of the semi-pro ballroom competition circuit, alongside very competitive Latin dancers. The reality TV segment was up against the competitive element, and the BBC was slow to fathom what was going on with their tentpole programme.

Some celebs sign up thinking it's a bit of fun and silliness. It's not. The pros are highly talented, highly competitive athletes who want to win. The BBC perhaps should have, years ago, put restraints in place on maximum hours trained or minimum standards to meet or something like that.

It'll survive. It's bruised and a bit over shadowed, but at least it's not the ITV ice skating version.

Also we've seen a move in whom the Celebs are ... from genuinely taking people who aren't dancers ( sports people, politicians, Journalists, actors / presenters without triple threat training ) into an increasingly" trained performer but not most well known for their dance / MT training / work"

IMO The 2017 series was the 'jump the shark' monent when you had a vocationally trained dancer who had had a soloist contract with a Professional company, has a reasonable list of other performing and choreography credits and was the artistic director of a ballet / contemporary company as a celeb competitor i.e. the Lovely Debbie McGee and before you say that debbie was trained in Balolet and her work as a dancer was ballet / contemporary ... her Strictly partner didn't have to teach her the basics of partnering and weight placement , he didn't have to teach her basic music theory for dance ...

There have been other celebs ( soap stars / presenters ) who have attended 'triple threat' vocational training where dance is a third of the syllabus or even 'acting schools' where Dance remains a notable , yet modest . presence on the time table ...

As for the abuse allegations the format of the training doesn't help as basically you have the pro acting as partner , teacher, choreographer( or repetiteur if they are given the choreo by someone else) and for want of a better term 'artistic director' often working to recorded music so when the camera isn't in rehersal it's just the Pro and the competitor behind the closed studio doors ...

as each pairing is it's own micro 'company'

 

[InArduisFouette]

Craig Revel Horwood says the judges have no idea what goes on during rehearsals and it's all a shock. Make of it what you will...

Strictly judge Craig Revel Horwood says complaints about Graziano and Giovanni are a 'shock'

The Strictly judge said he had found out about the allegations "through the press".

www.bbc.co.uk

yes and no

do the judges select the pros ? do the judges make the pairings ?

do the judges observe the pros teaching style before the pairings for the show are made /announced ?

unless structures , assurance processes and safeguards are in place what going on in the studio is between the teacher , the dancer(s) and any accompanist...

compare that to the Artistic Director of a dance school assuming it;s not a one -man-band ( kids / adults , recreational/ vocational is irrelevant to this discussion)

• they select the teachers , in larger schools often as part of a panel of senior teaching staff, in small schools sometimes along with the outgoing teacher of that genre if they are moving geographically / being promoted / retiring / stepping back becasue of health or caring commitments)
• they have final say over who teaches which classes and make up of the groups
• they observe their teachers teaching on regular basis ( or should do / or have the teachers observe each other formally and/or informally )
• they have routes for students and other teachers to speak up without going through management channels

the fact is there are some teachers and pros out there who can turn on the charm for recruitment but turn out to be a nightmare once in post becasue they either can't teach ( regardless of their professional portfolio as a performer), are a bully or are otherwise unsuited to teach ( thinking of the ex NYCB soloist who tried to make a second career a sa ballet teacher in the UK in the before covid times , but had a serious issue with alcohol use to the point it impaired basic function - I was one of the Dancers who killed his UK reputation stone dead)

 

[InArduisFouette]

Disclaimer - don't watch the show, but what the fuck is wrong with people?

Amanda Abbington reveals death threats after pulling out of Strictly

Actor has since alleged her dance partner Giovanni Pernice was ‘unnecessary, abusive, cruel and mean’

www.theguardian.com

Tldr?

Mother and daughter face rape and death threats because of the depressing deep seated hatred and misogyny and the sheer wrongness of some people.

the ballroom world has some obsessive superfans often failed dancers themselves who have so embodied the abusive cultures that they would do literally anything to get to work with some of these pros...

 

[pbsmooth]

The GoCompare guy and a blind comedian are on the line-up...

Strictly Come Dancing 2024: Nick Knowles, Sam Quek and Paul Merson complete line-up

They join previously announced contestants including Shayne Ward, Toyah Willcox and Chris McCausland.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[colacubes]

Ha. Wynne Evans is a friend of a friend Nice bloke by all accounts.

JB Gill looks most obvious front runner currently.

 

[Looby]

I was shaky about whether I was going to watch this year and now they’ve confirmed Toyah so it’s probably a no.

 

[PR1Berske]

The BBC has spoken to some of the runners/crew and by jimminy, Strictly does not come out very well

Strictly: Workers face a 'toxic culture' amid claims from Amanda Abbington and Zara McDermott

Former staff allege they faced a "toxic" culture while working on the BBC show.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Everything Goes]

According to the Sun (so make of it what you will), Amanda Abbington has released a whole load of new messages. The BBC investigation was due to conclude this week before for the new series starts in September.



Giovanni was on the brink of being cleared by investigators until Amanda handed in more text messages, sources said last night.

They claim further revelations were discussed last week during a meeting with two police officers conducting the probe into the dancer's behaviour on the BBC show.

A source said: “It has turned the course of the probe.”

The latest disclosures appear to show that Giovanni's conduct fell short of what is expected from the Strictly pros.

However, insiders said the probe did not paint actress Amanda — who quit the show early last year — in a good light either.

 

[danny la rouge]

However, insiders said the probe did not paint actress Amanda — who quit the show early last year — in a good light either.

This does not surprise me. But it bears repeating that there’s no such thing as a perfect victim.

 

[pbsmooth]

Paul Merson

 

[Everything Goes]

Here is the complete line up for 2024.

Strictly Come Dancing 2024: Nick Knowles, Sam Quek and Paul Merson complete line-up

They join previously announced contestants including Shayne Ward, Toyah Willcox and Chris McCausland.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[PR1Berske]

There is a sense with that line up of "our first choice(s) have pulled out, keep going down the list"

 

[xenon]

I know Chris, I went to college with him. We aren’t close mates but I always see him when he does stand up here and say hello. Good luck to him. Though I won’t be watching. Not my cup of tea.

 

[xenon]

I hope he wins though. Is a good egg.

 

[pbsmooth]

There is a sense with that line up of "our first choice(s) have pulled out, keep going down the list"

I think that’s how most celeb reality shows have been for a good few years now!

 

[Boo Radley75]

Here is the complete line up for 2024.

Strictly Come Dancing 2024: Nick Knowles, Sam Quek and Paul Merson complete line-up

They join previously announced contestants including Shayne Ward, Toyah Willcox and Chris McCausland.

www.bbc.co.uk

Given what Nick Knowles has mainly been in the tabloids for, the last few years, I think it's a safe bet that he's not going to get paired with Katya.