Strictly Come Dancing bosses have hit back at criticism over the line-up for the show’s 22nd series. The full cast of the BBC One dance competition has now been unveiled, despite controversy surrounding some dancers, including Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima.
Di Prima has been dropped from the show while an investigation is ongoing into Pernice, further complicated by new evidence presented by his ex-dance partner, Amanda Abbington. The selection of celebrity dancers has drawn criticism from dedicated fans, leading to a defence from the show’s chiefs.
Viewers have pointed out the uneven gender representation in the line-up, with only six women compared to nine men set to take to the floor.
Earlier reports flagged this as the “fewest” number of female celebrities Strictly has ever featured, due to a bullying investigation overshadowing the series.
As the line-up was gradually announced, many expressed their concerns on social media platforms like Twitter, with one user notably commenting: “Too many men if true. Why are these producers / Booking exec so afraid of all female pairings?”, reports the Express.
Some viewers voiced their dissatisfaction with the line-up for this year’s Strictly Come Dancing, pointing out an apparent gender imbalance. One disappointed fan remarked on social media: “Really not feeling the #Strictly line-up this year. Especially the unbalanced 9 men 6 women ratio” while another commented: “The lack of women and big names is a bit disappointing.”
In response, a Strictly spokesperson confidently addressed the concerns to Metro.co.uk, affirming: “We are really excited about this year’s line up and look forward to the series starting”. Furthermore, they stated: “There are many factors that influence the casting process to ensure we have a good mix of celebrities from a broad range of backgrounds. There is no hard and fast rule regarding the gender split on the show and it’s never been about ticking boxes.”
This statement comes amid tense times for the Strictly bosses, who are concerned about a possible backlash due to an investigation into allegations of bullying within the team and how such issues have been handled.
A source revealed insights about the investigation to the press: “The probe will look at whether producers heeded the warnings that someone may have been struggling and what was done about it,” adding a note of caution: “It’s difficult to see how the BBC can emerge from this without any blame whatsoever but time will tell. There are always learnings from things like this.”
Sherlock actress Amanda was summoned for further questioning last week to provide more messages. A spokesperson for the actress confirmed: “Amanda shared additional messages at the request of the BBC. She has fully cooperated with the review and will continue to do so.”
Meanwhile, Graziano Di Prima has admitted to mistakenly kicking Zara McDermott backstage, a blunder that garnered understanding from his ex-dance colleague Kym Marsh. In contrast, Giovanni Pernice has firmly refuted any allegations directed at him by Amanda.
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