EXCLUSIVENow Strictly struggles to sign up female stars: As Zara McDermott speaks out and crisis threatens the show's future, things 'are starting to feel dire' reveals KATIE HIND
It's at this time of year that Strictly’s casting boss normally puts the finishing touches to her star-studded line-up.
After months of being bombarded with calls from agents begging for their clients to be given a place in the Saturday night favourite, Stefania Aleksander, the show’s long-serving booker, has usually signed up at least six or seven celebrities, whose names inevitably find their way into the public domain.
This time round, however, it’s been quite a struggle – despite it being Strictly’s 20th anniversary year.
Insiders at the Corporation say they are having problems recruiting females in particular, especially high-profile ones – a first in its rich history.
‘Usually it is the women who are more keen,’ says a television executive connected to the series. ‘Not only is it an opportunity to get dressed up but appearing on Strictly is also much more fortuitous for females’ careers than men’s.
Graziano Di Prima has been sacked after five years on Strictly in the wake of claims that he hit and kicked his celebrity partner Zara McDermott
Graziano is also said to have verbally abused the former Love Island star while she was his partner on the show
‘But word has got around that it isn’t exactly a walk in the park, so getting them has a been a lot more challenging.’
Indeed, over the weekend things only got worse for the producers. Sicilian-born dancer Graziano Di Prima was sacked after five years on Strictly in the wake of claims that he hit and kicked his celebrity partner Zara McDermott, a former Love Island contestant.
The scandal, which comes on the heels of Amanda Abbington’s allegations that Giovanni Pernice ‘bullied’ her during rehearsals, has thrown the BBC into ‘absolute chaos’.
The show, according to inside sources, is in ‘meltdown’ and the upper echelons of both Strictly and the wider BBC have been locked in meetings over the weekend as they attempt to work out how they can survive the scandal.
One said: ‘There have been many conversations about how this is dealt with but the immediate problem is this year’s cast... There has been lots of swearing and frustration.’
The scandal comes on the heels of Amanda Abbington’s allegations that Giovanni Pernice bullied her during rehearsals
The scale of the crisis is illustrated by the fact that – by this time last year – Zara, former newsreader Angela Rippon and TV presenter Angela Scanlon had already signed up for the show. Finalist Layton Williams had also agreed to appear and Les Dennis was on the verge of doing so. All these names had leaked into the public domain but this year no high-profile female’s name has yet been mooted.
‘It is starting to feel a little bit dire,’ says the insider. ‘It was supposed to be smashing this year, it’s such a big series. There is huge pressure.’
Perhaps in a bid to generate interest and make the show more appealing to would-be contestants, the BBC yesterday unveiled a three-point plan to make rehearsals safer.
From now on, a production team member will be present during training, contestants and professionals alike will be given additional support via welfare producers and ‘further training’ will be given to the production team and crew.
The move was announced as Zara broke her silence on the scandal, which not only saw Graziano hit and kick her but repeatedly verbally abuse her.
After days of deliberating over whether she would address the story – which was revealed by The Mail on Sunday at the weekend – she told her two million Instagram followers how she feared a public backlash even though it was not her who made the complaint.
Professional dancer Giovanni claims his reputation has been damaged by the allegations
She only told her story after being contacted about Graziano’s abusive behaviour by the BBC, which was alerted to it by production staff.
Zara, 27, who became a documentary presenter and media personality after appearing on Love Island in 2018, described being a Strictly contestant as ‘a childhood dream come true’.
But she told her fans that, behind the scenes, things weren’t as dream-like, adding: ‘My experience inside 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.
‘I have wrestled with the fear of opening up – I was scared about a public backlash, I was scared about my future, I was scared of victim-shaming.
‘I’ve gained the strength to face these fears, and when I was asked to speak to the BBC, I spoke candidly about my time on the show.’
Amanda Abbington took part in the show in 2023 but abruptly withdrew just five weeks into the competition
She thanked the BBC for their ‘swift action and incredibly high level of support’. The Corporation are siding with Zara and accept that Graziano behaved ‘abhorrently’.
The BBC is planning to overhaul its recruitment process to make sure that anyone who takes part in the show is sufficiently resilient to handle the rigorous rehearsal process.
There is even talk of introducing lessons for the dancers in how to behave during classes. But before that, it will have to resolve the Giovanni/Amanda row which has been the subject of an internal inquiry for more than two months.
The HR department has scrutinised recordings of the pair’s rehearsals but is apparently yet to find any evidence of behaviour by Giovanni, 33, that could be considered unacceptable. Insiders say they are ‘worried’ about telling Amanda they haven’t found a ‘smoking gun’.
They also face legal action from the Italian heart-throb, who claims his reputation has been damaged by the affair. Friends of his say that the BBC failed Giovanni by pairing him with a partner who had no psychological testing to assess her suitability to cope with the arduous rehearsal regime.
‘Well, that’s another mess,’ exclaimed one BBC employee.
As for Graziano, 28, his friends are said to be concerned about his wellbeing after the scandal became public. In a statement shared on Instagram, he said his ‘intense passion... might have affected’ his training regime and that it was ‘best for the show’ for him to step away.
Those close to him maintain that there is ‘another tale’ to this fall-out but he is ‘not in a state’ to talk about it yet.
As one friend put it poignantly: ‘He came from poverty and now he has lost everything.’
