Strictly Come Dancing professionals smile as rehearsals begin amid controversy
The cast are practising ahead of the new series.
Strictly Come Dancing professionals including Johannes Radebe, Amy Dowden and Dianne Buswell were all smiles as they arrived at rehearsals for the new series.
The cast convened to practise at a London dance studio amid ongoing controversy surrounding the programme.
On Tuesday, BBC director-general Tim Davie apologised to contestants who have had an experience that “hasn’t been wholly positive”.
It follows a storm of negative stories about the culture on the flagship programme and the treatment of contestants.
But the dancers appeared to be focusing on the job as they walked into the studio in the sunshine.
Dowden, who is returning to the show following her treatment for breast cancer, smiled broadly as she arrived dressed in black joggers and a black cropped top.
She was accompanied by Buswell, who wore a black vest and red shorts, with black fringed boots.
Radebe, Kai Widdrington and Lauren Oakley also looked cheerful as they colour co-ordinated in beige shorts and pale tops, with Radebe and Widdrington also both sporting dark baseball caps.
Gorka Marquez sipped on an iced coffee as he arrived wearing black shorts and a red shirt with a navy baseball cap, carrying a pack of rice cakes under his arm.
Meanwhile, Oakley also took a stroll arm-in-arm with Arduino Bertoncello, accompanied by Jowita Przystal, who wore a pale pink shirt and shorts with matching head scarf.
Nadiya Bychkova looked sporty as she arrived in a white sweatshirt, pale blue leggings and large sunglasses.
The professionals are rehearsing without familiar faces Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima, who will not return to the show this year.
Pernice left the cast amid allegations about his treatment of former contestant Amanda Abbington, who has described his behaviour as “unnecessary, abusive, cruel and mean”. He denies the claims.
Di Prima left the show after allegations about his treatment of Love Island star Zara McDermott.
Former contestant Will Bayley said he suffered serious injury while performing a jump in rehearsals for the programme, and has claimed there was “no duty of care”.
The Paralympian has said producers were told the jump from a table during a routine was too dangerous, but he was encouraged to do it anyway, and after he was injured show bosses made him feel as though it was his fault.
His torn knee ligaments forced him to pull out of the series in 2019.
Presenting the BBC’s annual report on Tuesday, Davie told journalists 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.”
Asked if he is confident the show will go ahead this series, he 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.”
