Can scandal-hit Strictly finally move on now?
Strictly Come Dancing has weathered a storm of headlines for months over allegations about misconduct in rehearsals.
This week the BBC has apologised to Amanda Abbington, who quit Strictly early last year, but cleared Giovanni Pernice of the most serious allegations. Complaints about verbal bullying including swearing were upheld but the professional dancer was cleared of the most serious allegations of physical aggression.
There have been reports that the Sherlock actor could sue the BBC for damages following the apology. She told The Sun: "I want to take the time to consider the report in detail with my advisers before deciding what happens next." Hours earlier, Abbington said she recognised "lessons have been learned" and the apology meant a "great deal" to her in a statement following the verdict.
Both parties were seemingly happy with the result; Pernice said he was "relieved overwhelming majority of allegations put to the BBC have not been upheld" and he was "pleased" the review found no evidence of threatening or abusive behaviour. From the very beginning, the professional dancer had vowed to clear his name after the pair had been feuding behind closed doors while competing on the show together.
Read more: Strictly
Laura Whitmore reacts after BBC shares results of Strictly Come Dancing’s Giovanni Pernice investigation (The Independent, 3-min read)
Strictly Come Dancing: Amanda Abbington 'could sue BBC for damages' after apology (Evening Standard, 3-min read)
Giovanni Pernice complaints 'included moments he swore or threw his hands in the air' during Strictly rehearsals (OK! magazine, 3-min read)
Months before the 2024 series kicked off, Pernice left the BBC show after nine years. The professional dancer had a huge fan base from the show and had an impressive track record on Strictly, having lifted the Glitter Ball trophy for the first time with Rose Ayling-Ellis in 2021 but made three finals prior to this.
Now Pernice's focus remains on continuing his work on Ballando con le Stelle, Dancing With The Stars in Italy, which started on Saturday. The choreographer was delighted to reach top of the leaderboard after performing the samba with his dance partner Bianca Guaccero in the opening show this weekend.
Strictly's media storm
It has been a stormy few months for Strictly. As the investigation was being carried out, more stars spoke out about their experience. After being invited back to be interviewed, Zara McDermott revealed her pro partner Graziano Di Prima had kicked her during rehearsals.
Di Prima was sacked from the 2024 line-up and apologised for the mistake. In the weeks that followed, the professional dancer fled the UK and moved back to his native Italy with his wife where he begun working on a farm. He told The Daily Mail: "I am not a monster. I am not abusive."
McDermott wasn't the only one to speak up in the wake of the allegations. Paralympian Will Bayley, who was born with arthrogryposis meaning there are limits in the range of motion in his joints, claimed he suffered with a life-long injury to his knee. After tearing his knee ligaments, he was forced to quit the show in 2019 but always maintained a friendship with his pro dancer Janette Manara, who said she has never received complaints for when she was on the show.
Later, Laura Whitmore, who danced with Pernice, identified herself as one of the stars who spoke to the BBC as part of the investigation. In August this year, the Love Island presenter claimed she was "gaslit" when she spoke up at the time about her experiences with her pro partner in 2016. To be gaslit or gaslighting refers to the psychological manipulation of a person so they question their own reality. In interviews years after the show, Whitmore said she had been "left broken" by the Strictly experience.
The former Love Island presenter celebrated Abbington receiving an apology on social media. She wrote on Instagram on Tuesday: "I hope this helps people realise they should not be subjected to abusive behaviour in the workplace, Things can be twisted online and there's so much more to this but in black and white there were complaints upheld and an apology made. And the perpetrator no longer works for the channel."
Strictly's 2024 show must go on
Before launching the 20th anniversary series, the BBC announced a new set of measures for the show. These include the appointment of dedicated staff members to support both the celebrity contestants and the professionals taking part on the show.
The inclusion of chaperones has arguably been one of the most talked about additions to the show. Now the celebrity contestants and their pro dancers will not be left alone to train and instead will always have the company of a chaperone.
When Strictly returned to our screens - with sparkles and sequins galore - it went smoothly all things considered. Of course Strictly's hosts Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly ignored the scandal completely and we don't expect them to address the results of the investigation this weekend too.
Its viewership on the launch night was down by nearly a million. However, BBC's chief content officer Charlotte Moore was quoted saying: "A lot of people watch Strictly over the course of a week, so it's absolutely in line with the ratings of last year."
One thing that has been catching the attention of many is blind comedian Chris McCausland who is competing alongside Dianne Buswell. Those watching at home have been in awe of the comedian, who lost his sight at age 22, fearlessly taking on the challenge of learning to dance. His sense of humour has won people over too.
The new celebrity contestants line-up appear keen to move on from the scandal, with many of them sharing their funny outtakes from rehearsals on social media. And so for now, the show goes on.
This article originally appeared on Yahoo TV UK at https://uk.news.yahoo.com/strictly-move-on-scandal-161853906.html
