Presenter Fern Britton has claimed that she was “kicked and shoved” by her professional dancer partner, Artem Chigvinstev, during her time on Strictly Come Dancing. Britton appeared on the BBC dancing competition in 2012 and exited in the fifth week.
She spoke candidly about her time on the show at The Times newspaper event. She said: “He would look at my feet and just kick me or shove me.” She added: “[He would say] ‘You just stand there and don’t move, I dance round you.’ He was like, ‘Shut your face. Go home before I kill you.’ I would say, ‘Oh please just kill me, it would be easier.’ Or what was his other one? ‘If you go for a cup of tea now, I will blow off like an atomic bomb.’ I thought, well I won’t correct him on that one.”
Reflecting on their dynamic, she said: “We did love each other for a moment or two but he wasn’t charm personified… I did kind of enjoy it but it was grim at the same time”. However, Artem Chigvinstev has since responded to these claims in the Daily Express.
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The professional dancer said: “I believe I treated Fern with respect and genuine care and these claims about me are the opposite of everything I believe in and the person I am. I cannot imagine what has prompted such statements which come as a shock to me.”
The Mirror has reported that they have approached both Fern and Artem for a comment in regard to the allegations that have resurfaced. This comes amidst recent scrutiny faced by the BBC series after Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima departed following accusations of inappropriate behaviour with their celebrity dance partners. For the latest TV & Showbiz news, sign up to our newsletter.
Allegations first came to light in January when Amanda Abbington requested footage of her rehearsals with Giovanni Pernice, resulting in an investigation into misconduct and consequently leading to the firing of Graziano, who was teamed up with Zara McDermott, reports the Mirror.
The Sherlock actress has claimed she has been diagnosed with PTSD since taking part in the BBC show and described her experience with Giovanni as “tough” and “horrible”. Giovanni has vehemently denied allegations of “abusive or threatening behaviour”.
Meanwhile, Graziano admitted he “deeply regretted” events that led to his exit. Graziano’s 2023 partner Zara has since admitted she was afraid of speaking out over concerns about “victim blaming”.
Strictly will now implement a host of new rules as the BBC “toughens up” its duty of care. In a statement released on Tuesday, the BBC confirmed they would be making changes to Strictly to “strengthen welfare and support”, adding: “Going forward, we will have a production team member present during training room rehearsals at all times; increase existing support with the addition of two new roles on the show dedicated to welfare support – a Celebrity Welfare Producer and a Professional Dancer Welfare Producer; and deliver further training for the production team and crew.”
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