Strictly Faces New Controversy Over Ageism Scandal

Come Dancing has been one of the 's most iconic shows for the past two decades. 

But since it hit the box in 2004, it has been plagued with a series of scandals.

From sex scandals, an internal drugs investigation and accusations by contestants of abuse and bullying by dancers, the beloved show has seen it all.

This week, amid claims of a dancer shakeup, the show has been hit by an ageism row - an accusation that has been thrown at the series before. 

It follows on from two rocky series that have been rocked by scandal, beginning when actress  accused dance partner, , of being 'abusive' during their rehearsals. Allegations he denies. 

The same year,  was sacked by the after a video emerged of him kicking dance partner, the Love Island star during a rehearsal.

Later Welsh opera singer, , was axed from his BBC Wales breakfast show after using 'inappropriate language' during his Strictly stint. Before  was axed from after his vile slur during the competition. 

In the latest blow to the show the ageism row reared its head as pro dancer  was axed from the line-up after almost a decade on the show.

It comes as bosses are doing a mass cull of their pro dancers ahead of the new series after a series of scandals.

Nadiya had been in Strictly Come Dancing for eight years and in that time partnered celebrities including TV presenter , singer and actor Davood Ghadami.

Now, a friend of the 36-year-old dancer has reportedly hit out at the axing and taken aim at the BBC.

'Her axing smacks of ageism,' a friend reportedly told The Sun.

They added: 'Nadiya's one of the most popular dancers so she can't understand why she won't be back, she's devastated. The show is her life.'

The Daily Mail contacted the BBC for comment. 

While the BBC are yet to comment on the speculation, it is not the first time the show has been accused of ageism.

Most famously, Dame Arlene Phillips found herself dubbed 'the face of anti-ageism' when she was axed from the show in 2009.

Dame Arlene was booted off when she was 66, and replaced by the much younger and less experienced Alesha Dixon (then aged 30).

It caused such a scandal that even Harriet Harman, then Minister for Women and Equality, got involved.

In an extraordinary Government intervention, Labour’s Deputy Leader described the BBC’s decision to replace Dame Arlene as 'absolutely shocking' and called for her to be reinstated.

Speaking in the House Of Commons, she shared: 'As Equalities Minister, I am suspicious that there is age discrimination there. So I’d like to take the opportunity of asking the BBC: it is not too late, we want Arlene Phillips in the next edition of Strictly Come Dancing.'

In 2024, Dame Arlene, now 82, reignited the ageism row as she discussed the older contestants on the show.

She told Express Online at the Women of the Year Awards: 'I don’t particularly like the way older women are perceived [on the show].

'I don’t like that there is a certain, there are some people who are phenomenal as they age and it’s not that they should have danced before, but the one thing I don’t like about Strictly is many of the older women who take part are really serious about it, as they should be, but they also take it to heart and that breaks them as women.'

Six weeks after Dame Arlene was axed from the show, Strictly found itself embroiled in another ageism row when popular dancer Karen Hardy was dropped from the lineup.

She was given the boot from the dancefloor at the age of 39 to make way for younger professionals in their 20s.

At the time, Karen was the oldest female dancer on the show and had been tipped by fans to take over Dame Arlene on the judging panel.

She was not the only dancer to be replaced. Camilla Dallerup, then 35 and the reigning Strictly champion was also also axed.

Lithuanian Katya Virshilas, then 25, and Australian Natalie Lowe, then 28, were brought in as their replacements.

Addressing ageism accusations at the time, a Strictly spokesperson said they were always looking for ways to make Strictly Come Dancing ‘fresh and relevant’ but said suggestions that BBC decisions are based on age were ‘totally out of the question’.

‘If our decisions were affected by age there’s no way we could have someone like Bruce Forsyth or Len Goodman on the show,’ they said.

‘Age does not influence who we have on the show and we have numerous presenters of all ages across the BBC.’

Current head judge Shirley Ballas has also been accused of ageism.

In 2022, fans accused Shirley, 65, of overmarking young male contestants, with Shirley revealing she considered quitting the show because the trolling got so bad.

She told The Mirror: 'I felt the abuse snowballed out of control and impacted me in such a negative way. I'm a pretty stoic person, and I tend to hold everything in.'

When asked if she'd considered quitting Strictly, she replied: 'It was a difficult series, I'll leave it at that... Will I go back to Strictly? I always take one step at a time.'

Another recent scandal that hit the show was in November a second Strictly star had been arrested on suspicion of rape.

The revelation came just three months after another unnamed star was arrested for an identical offence, as well as ‘non-consensual intimate image abuse’.

The most recent arrest was made the month prior. The victim was not a contestant or dancer, but the pair met because of the man’s involvement in the BBC show.

Hertfordshire Police confirmed a man had been arrested, adding that inquiries were ongoing.

Not long before this, it emerged that a couple on a recent series of the showhad a secret affair shortly before the celebrity dancer's relationship broke down, the Daily Mail revealed. 

The emergence of yet another illicit liaison between one of the celebrity-pro dancer pairings on the dance show, notoriously said to be prone to a relationship ruining 'curse', heaps yet more pressure on crisis-hit producers.

It comes in the same week as it emerged that video footage is in circulation of a separate married celebrity who was formerly on the show kissing in a sexualised manner their dancing partner.

An insider told the Mail: 'One of the celebrities had a fling with one of the dancers while they were still with a partner at home - and everyone has just found out.

'It's unclear if their partner ever found out but the relationship later ended so it's not inconceivable that they did.'

It's understood the dance pairing managed to keep the fact that they were having a clandestine affair secret from the rest of the cast and production team throughout their Strictly run.

There were rumblings of a 'great connection' between the pair while they were competing, but fellow contestants put it down to their 'insane chemistry' - a not uncommon manifestation when two people bond while training together intensively.

But now that the claim about their fling has come to light, those connected to that particular series have realised 'the signs were there' in plain sight for much of the time they were filming.

Our source added: 'This just could not come at a worse time. People talk about the 'curse of Strictly' meaning that it kills off marriages and relationships - and goodness knows there have been plenty of those episodes.

'But lately it's felt like a curse applies to the show itself. It's just been one thing after another.

'And it's all overshadowing what is meant to be just an innocuous light entertainment show.

'It's come to light because secrets never stay quiet for long, especially with Strictly.'

It was said that the 12-second clip 'threatens to detonate Strictly.'

According to the report, the video was taken backstage at Elstree Studios, where the Saturday night show is filmed, by a stunned member of the production team who witnessed the couple being intimate in their dressing room.

Pairings previously linked to the so-called curse during the show's two decade run include - a Natasha Kaplinsky and Brendan Cole, Matt Di Angelo and Flavia Cacace, Ali Bastian and Brian Fortuna, Joe Calzaghe and Kristina Rihanoff, Kara Tointon and Artem Chigvintsev, Ben Cohen and Kristina Rihanoff and Rachel Riley and Pasha Kovalev.

Despite an appearance on Strictly once being seen as the key to revitalise a celeb's career , signing up to the scandal-plagued show is now considered a risk.

Ahead of the last series it was reported one showbiz agent has been advising their clients to avoid the BBC dance competition which can now 'break careers as well as make them'.

One talent agent close to the show said: 'It just isn't worth the risk for some people it used to be a no-brainer but now there is growing reticence'.

They told The Times : 'It can break your career as well as make it, we are advising increasing numbers of our clients to turn down the opportunity'.

A Strictly spokesperson said: 'There was absolutely no difference to the casting process this year, both in timescale and the great mix of names wanting to take part.'

It comes after sources claimed that the latest series said Strictly bosses had 'struggled' to sign talent following its scandals.

Last year, Wynne was caught on camera by the Daily Mail seemingly suggesting a three-way sex session with dancer Janette Manrara.

The comment came at a photocall to launch the Strictly live tour and swiftly earned a rebuke from BBC bosses who told him: 'We will not tolerate such behaviour.'

While Wynne apologised at the time, he later claimed he was forced to and denied it was a sexual jibe, insisting he used the term 'spit roast' as a nickname for fellow contestant Jamie Borthwick.

After an investigation into his behaviour, BBC bosses told Wynne they would not be renewing his yearly rolling contract, bringing an end to his radio show.

He later said he will 'regret for the rest of my life' his controversial 'spit roast' comment during the Strictly call. 

In August, the show was hit by fresh scandal, with claims that bosses have called in police to investigate a new allegation into the scandal-hit show.

Lawyers began an external probe into the family-friendly show amid claims two of its stars had used cocaine. 

It was reported at the time that detectives from the Met Police are allegedly examining other allegations, after lawyers began examining claims two Strictly stars had used cocaine while on the show.

Sources said: 'It’s a significant new development in the BBC’s recent string of crises that they have now got the police involved in investigating allegations surrounding Strictly. This is a very dramatic turn of events.

'Despite all the show and its team have been through over recent months, it’s hugely controversial that you’ve now got Scotland Yard detectives probing Strictly. This is their biggest prime-time family entertainment show, so it’s not a good look for the BBC.'

A spokesperson for the broadcaster previously stated: 'We have clear protocols and policies in place for dealing with any serious complaint raised with us.

'We would always encourage people to speak to us if they have concerns. It would not be appropriate for us to comment further.'

Over the past two years, a host of scandals have surrounded the show's professional dancers and their conduct towards training the stars.  

In 2023's Series 21, Amanda withdrew from the competition, initially citing 'personal reasons' as the explanation for her departure. 

As time went on however, in July the following year Amanda accused Giovanni Pernice of 'unnecessary, cruel and mean behaviour' during their time on the show.

Giovanni rejected the claims immediately, and a BBC investigation ruled that her claims of physical aggression and threatening behaviour were not upheld.

When BBC bosses published the extensivee report into the Italian dancer's behaviour, he was cleared him of the most serious allegations of physical aggression, but upheld verbal bullying and harassment.

Complaints of verbal bullying and harassment meant the BBC issued an apology to Amanda, but Giovanni said he was 'pleased the report has not found any evidence of threatening or abusive behaviour'.

A spokesperson said: 'We have clear protocols and policies in place for dealing with any serious complaint raised with us. We would always encourage people to speak to us if they have concerns. It would not be appropriate for us to comment further.'

Elsewhere, in July last year pro Graziano was sacked by the BBC following claims of gross misconduct towards his former partner Zara.

The Italian star was spoken to by bosses of the Saturday night dance show and his contract terminated. A message on Graziano's Instagram at the time read: 'My intense passion and determination to win might have affected my training regime.'

One show source said: 'Graziano had to go. It has been awful.'

Graziano joined Strictly in 2018 and was last year partnered with Love Island star Zara but they were eliminated in week six.