Strictly dancer Nadiya Bychkova denies raising concerns to BBC about show
The Daily Mail reported that Bychkova had contacted BBC bosses in the wake of allegations made against two former Strictly professionals.
Strictly Come Dancing professional Nadiya Bychkova has denied raising concerns to the BBC about the show.
Following reports that Bychkova and fellow Strictly professional Kai Widdrington had ended their relationship, the Daily Mail reported that Bychkova contacted BBC bosses to raise concerns about the show.
But Bychkova wrote on Instagram on Friday: “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.
“Enjoying a wonderful weekend with my family”.
At the weekend, Graziano Di Prima announced he was leaving the show following claims about his treatment of reality star Zara McDermott when they competed together last year.
Allegations have also been made about former Strictly star Giovanni Pernice’s teaching methods, which he denies.
Former Strictly professionals Ian Waite and Vincent Simone said they were “surprised” by the allegations against the dancers.
Waite said he did not experience anyone being aggressive during his time on the show, but condemned any physical action as “not appropriate”.
The dancer, who participated on the show from 2004 to 2009, told ITV’s Good Morning Breakfast on Friday morning: “I’m very surprised because in my experience, I’ve never known anybody hurting anybody or being aggressive towards anybody.
“Throughout my experience on Strictly it’s been absolutely wonderful. You do go through highs and lows on the show, as you probably both know, it can be very stressful.
“And it can be intense, and it can be really hard work, and you get really tired towards the end.
“But I don’t think under any circumstances should there be any physical (action). It’s not appropriate.”
He added: “I had teachers in London who used to put me into position and they’d have their nails and grab me and push me, but it was to get me in the correct place.
“It was always the connotation that it was to make me do it right. There was no aggressiveness towards it.”
Simone, who was a dancer on the show between 2006 and 2012, said he had “never heard of such a physical act” made by a dancer in his 30 years within the industry.
He added: “Personally, I never had any problems. My Strictly journey was amazing, the only problem I had is all my celebrities, they all fell in love with me.”
Former Love Island star McDermott previously said she “wrestled with the fear of opening up” about her time on Strictly as she feared a “public backlash” and “victim shaming”.
In a post on Instagram earlier this week, she praised the production team and her fellow contestants, but said her experience in the training room was “very different”.
“Reports have been made about my treatment on the show and there were witnesses to some events, as well as videos of particular incidents which are incredibly distressing to watch,” she wrote.
She added that she had spoken “candidly” to the BBC about her time on the show.
Following the allegations, the BBC said a member of the Strictly production team will be present “at all times” during training room rehearsals and that a celebrity welfare producer and a professional dancer welfare producer would be added to the team.
The BBC show, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, is due to film its pre-recorded launch programme on September 4.
