Should Strictly Come Dancing come to an end? That was the question being debated on Good Morning Britain (GMB) today (Tuesday, July 16) following controversies with professional dancers on the show.
The ITV morning show saw Richard Madeley, Kate Garraway, Neev Spencer and Stephanie Takyi discuss the topic.
This was after pro dancer Graziano Di Prima was dramatically dropped from the line-up for the 2024 series despite being confirmed to return last month.
It’s been claimed Di Prima’s departure followed unspecified allegations made by those working on the show who had observed Di Prima’s rehearsals with TV star Zara McDermott, whom he was partnered with on the 2023 series, The Independent reports.
Di Prima released a statement on Instagram, saying: “I deeply regret the events that led to my departure from Strictly. My intense passion and determination to win might have affected my training regime.
“While respecting the BBC HR process, I acknowledge it’s only right for the sake of the show that I step away. I am saddened that I wasn’t allowed to offer a quote to the online news stories, and I take on board the sensitivity of the situation.”
Alongside that, a controversy emerged with Giovanni Pernice who was paired up with actress Amanda Abbington on last year's series.
Just five weeks into the competition, Abbington abruptly pulled out on medical grounds, and then in January, she revealed she had been diagnosed with mild PTSD.
Reports claimed she’d requested rehearsal footage and was seeking legal advice, and a few months later Pernice released a lengthy statement on Instagram.
He said that he “reject[ed] any suggestion of abusive or threatening behaviour” and that he “look[ed] forward to clearing [his] name”.
When the Strictly pro-line-up was confirmed a few weeks later, Pernice was not on the list.
Strictly Comes Dancing is a show known for its warmth and the question GMB debated was if it had lost its sparkle due to the controversies and should come to an end.
Should Strictly Come Dancing end?
Broadcaster Spencer made the claim that Strictly hadn't been the same since Bruse Forsyth stopped hosting and that the show had become a "media vehicle for gossip instead of it being about talent".
Meanwhile, journalist Takyi said it was mainly a "feel-good" show that has always had its controversies and argued that "the mistakes of two dancers" shouldn't impact the entire production.
The debate continued into the GMB comments of an X (formerly Twitter) post where a poll was listed asking for people's opinions on the topic.
Professional dancer Graziano Di Prima who has left Strictly following claims of ‘gross misconduct’ towards his dance partner Zara McDermott. In the last few minutes, Zara has spoken out in a statement.
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) July 16, 2024
So has Strictly had it's last dance? @neevkspencer & Stephanie Takyi debate pic.twitter.com/trb2GeI4tb
There were some mixed views, with one person writing: "Strictly is a vile programme with terrible presenters and egotistical dancers. Ditch it!"
Meanwhile, another shared: "No! The "celebs" who are going on there now think they are going for an easy ride and some screen time, all of a sudden they then realise it is actually bloody hard work and cry my dance partner is working me to [sic] hard and shouting at me!"
Recommended reading:
- Strictly’s Graziano Di Prima axed from BBC show and ‘deeply regrets’ actions
- BBC Strictly Come Dancing legend to return after two-year hiatus
- Strictly Come Dancing legend says show was ‘brutal awakening’
One commented that these incidents shouldn't take away from the rest of the work done by the crew to bring the show together.
They said: "It’s unfortunate that this very small cloud is pulling focus away from a truly magical show. There are still 100s of people who work so hard on the show. It will be back bigger and stronger than ever."
On the other hand, some people shared they were simply bored of Strictly, with one posting: "I think it's had it's time now. Running out of celebrities same as Dancing on Ice. I used to love both those programmes but don't bother watching them anymore."
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel