Former Strictly Come Dancing pro Pasha Kovalev has said bosses need to ‘re-establish rules’ in order to save the series amid it’s ongoing misconduct scandal.
The beloved BBC series is currently embroiled in controversy over how the professional dancers teach the celebs, with multiple accusations emerging of bullying and abusive behaviour.
It comes after Pasha’s now wife Rachel Riley, 38, who he was paired with on the show in 2013, claimed her experience left her with PTSD and likened it to a ‘hostage situation’.
Pasha, 44, who left Strictly in 2018 after eight years, said he’d never witnessed any inappropriate during his stint, but The Mirror: I guess in every office in the country you’d have one or two bad apples, and when it comes to it, it needs to be dealt with’.
He continued: ‘The rules need to be regulated, or revisited, and the atmosphere should be re-established where people are trusting one another, people are positive and working together to create a better show – delivering a better product, and entertaining people. It’s entertainment for Christ’s sake – it’s supposed to be fun.’
Former Strictly Come Dancing pro Pasha Kovalev has said bosses need to ‘re-establish rules’ in order to save the series amid it’s ongoing misconduct scandal.
It comes after Pasha’s now wife Rachel Riley who he was paired with on the show in 2013 (pictured) claimed her experience left her with PTSD and likened it to a ‘hostage situation’.
The beloved BBC series is currently embroiled in controversy with multiple accusations emerging of bullying and abusive behaviour towards celebs (Amanda Abbington pictured)
‘There is no reason to have a break, in spite of all this controversy and discussions lately. It needs to be addressed, to be fixed, people need to be listened to for a proper creative, celebratory atmosphere.’
Rachel, with whom Pasha shares two daughters, said of her PTSD in April: ‘I got PTSD following Strictly. A lot of people who have done it can relate. It’s like a trauma bonding, hostage situation, not with your partner but with the show.
‘You love doing it and it’s so much fun, you get all of the endorphins from the training and achieving something just being in the moment.
‘All you’re supposed to be doing is learning this dance, that’s all you’re doing, you haven’t got any distractions, you haven’t got to do the washing, check your phone, you haven’t got to do anything else.
‘By the end of the week, you’ve achieved it and done it and you’ve got that gratification.
‘The dancing thing was quite scary and it brings up a lot of emotions. Each year Pasha would do it, I would remember what happened my week and all of the emotions and that and then the next person, I would be over empathizing and each year was layers of memories and I didn’t enjoy it.’
‘I know from my time on it, 11 years ago, even the most sane, solid, grounded people, it can do something to you,’ she added as she spoke at the Inspiration Awards For Women at The Landmark Hotel in London.
‘And there’s so many people that I’ve seen in subsequent years that have that shared experience. I don’t think even production are aware of quite what it does to people.
Pasha, who left Strictly in 2018 after eight years, said he’d never witnessed any inappropriate during his stint but ‘you have one or two bad apples’ (pictured with Rachel on the show)
He continued: ‘The rules need to be regulated, or revisited, and the atmosphere should be re-established where people are trusting one another’ (pictured winning the show with the late Caroline Flack in 2014)
Rachel said of her PTSD: ‘I got PTSD following Strictly. A lot of people who have done it can relate. It’s like a trauma bonding, hostage situation, not with your partner but with the show’
‘When I was doing it, I was recommended CBT, and I think that’s actually been really great.’
CBT is a talking therapy that can help patients manage problems by altering the way they think about them.
It’s often used to treat anxiety, depression and PTSD and focuses on improving a person’s state of mind.
A course of treatment with an NHS therapist can usually be between six and 20 hour-long sessions.
The Strictly scandal erupted in January when actress Amanda Abbington accused her Strictly partner Giovanni Pernice of abuse after she unexpectedly quit the show just five weeks in.
Sherlock actress Amanda, 50, a has made a series of accusations about Giovanni’s teaching methods and has described his behaviour as ‘unnecessary, abusive, cruel and mean’. He strongly denies all of the claims.
In one interview, Amanda compared the dance show to ‘the trenches’ telling Channel 4 News that BBC producers had been left ‘horrified’ by clips that also allegedly exhibited ‘humiliating behaviour of a sexual nature’.
The Strictly scandal erupted in January when actress Amanda Abbington accused her Strictly partner Giovanni Pernice (both pictured) of abuse after she unexpectedly quit the show
Then, in July, it emerged that Graziano Di Prima had been sacked from Strictly for ‘kicking’ his partner, Love Island star Zara McDermott
Then, in July, it emerged that Graziano Di Prima had been sacked from Strictly for ‘kicking’ his partner, Love Island star Zara McDermott.
A Strictly source said: ‘Graziano’s abuse was ongoing, he kicked and hit her. There were multiple occasions where both physical and verbal attacks were made. It was more physical than verbal but all of it was dreadful.
‘There were occasions where he did some terrible things, it really was awful. What he did makes Giovanni look like a pussy cat.’
Graziano has since claimed he does not know the full particulars of what he is supposed to have done.
