The latest Strictly news has seen former professional dancer Ian Waite had waded in on the hit BBC show’s drama and insisted there is a “link” to the recent controversies.
Ian joined the Strictly family back in 2004 and remained on the show until 2009. During its first-ever series, Ian and athlete Denise Lewis finished in second place.
Since Ian waved goodbye to the show, Strictly has continued to remain popular with the public. However, it faced big controversies following last year’s series.
Amanda Abbington accused her pro dancer Giovanni Pernice of “abusive” behaviour – which he has denied. As the investigation continues, Giovanni has not returned to Strictly.
Graziano Di Prima was also axed after admitting that he admitted kicking his celeb partner Zara McDermott in rehearsals.
Strictly news: Ian Waite wades into show scandal
During an appearance on the Stripping Off With Matt Haycox podcast, Ian made a connection between Giovanni and Graziano following the bullying scandal, and jumped to a shock conclusion. He even had some “advice’ for the Beeb.
“Well, there’s a link. They’re both Italian. And, a little bit of advice – don’t book Italians any more,” he boldly stated.
He then went on to further blast the BBC: “One of the problems is that, as pro dancers, we weren’t given any safeguarding rules or guidance on how we should behave with our celebrity partners,” Ian continued.
Admitting that everyone had to “figure it out” for themselves, Ian questioned: “What’s offensive or abusive if there are no clear guidelines?”
‘It’s your word against theirs’
Ian admitted that during his time on Strictly, he found himself clashing with his celeb partner.
He stated: “There were times when I fell out with my partner,” adding: “There were even times when there were a lot of shouting matches going on.”
However, Ian insisted it was “for a good reason”.
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Read more: Gorka Marquez in tears as he admits ‘sadness’ just hours after Strictly 2024 launch
Strictly continues this Saturday (September 21) from 7pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
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