Bobby Brazier breaks his silence on Strictly scandal as he recalls ‘squabbles’ with fellow contestant Dianne Buswell during ‘intense’ training and shares advice for the final contestants

Bobby Brazier has broken his silence on the Strictly scandal as he looked back on his time competing in last year’s competition alongside professional partner Dianne Buswell.

The beloved BBC series is currently embroiled in controversy over how professional dancers teach celebrities, with multiple allegations of harassment and abusive behaviour emerging.

EastEnders star Bobby, 21, who finished second behind ex Ellie Leach, said his own experiences did not reflect the reports but that 12-hour training days sometimes led to “disputes”.

He told MailOnline: “My own experience was great and it was everything I expected. I didn’t expect it to be as great as it was.”

‘(Diane and I would do it) We argued here and there, but we laughed, it was just a real balance.

“It was real, you spend so much time with someone doing something you’ve never done, that’s really hard in a competition… so it’s never going to be one thing completely. I was really grateful that it was all so intense.”

She also shared advice for the latest generation of contestants, including her EastEnders co-star Jamie Borthwick, 30, ahead of training.

Bobby said, ‘Take your lunch breaks and when your pro doesn’t want to stop and you do, take that nap.

‘And ask, humbly ask, politely ask to be gently woken up so that you are in a good mood, ready to dance, instead of tired and angry.’

Bobby spoke to MailOnline on behalf of Mentos to encourage people to rediscover their taste of summer by exploring new tastes and flavours, following the launch of Mentos Discovery with 14 delicious fruit flavours in one roll.

The brand conducted new research that revealed that 64 percent of Gen Z needs excitement to get through the week, but this percentage drops to 28 percent for those over 45.

69 percent of Gen Z feel they have lost certain character traits over time and would be eager to rediscover them, including creativity and adventure, but are still eager to try new flavors with 79 percent identify as adventurous eaters.

Bobby said: ‘I’ve been lucky to have had the opportunity in my career so far to explore different parts of myself and what makes me happy, from modelling on some of the world’s biggest runways to acting and dancing.

‘I’m excited to partner with Mentos to discover their new flavors and tastes and encourage people to do the same.

‘We can get so caught up in everyday life, that we often forget the excitement and butterflies in the stomach that come from putting ourselves out there and trying new things.’

The Strictly scandal broke in January when actress Amanda Abbington accused fellow Strictly contestant Giovanni Pernice of abuse after she unexpectedly quit the show after just five weeks.

Sherlock actress Amanda, 50, has made a series of accusations about Giovanni’s teaching methods and has She described his behaviour as “unnecessary, abusive, cruel and mean-spirited.” She strongly denies all the accusations.

In an interview, Amanda compared the dance show to “the trenches” and told Channel 4 News that BBC producers had been left “horrified” by the clips which allegedly also showed “humiliating behaviour of a sexual nature”.

Then in July it emerged that Graziano Di Prima had been sacked from Strictly for “kicking” fellow Love Island star Zara McDermott.

A Strictly source said: ‘Graziano’s abuse was constant, he would kick and punch her. There were multiple occasions where physical and verbal attacks took place. They were more physical than verbal, but it was all appalling.

“There were times when he did terrible things, it was really horrible. What he did makes Giovanni look like a kitten.”

Graziano has since claimed he does not know all the details of what he allegedly did.

The BBC will not give further details due to the “confidential nature of the circumstances” in which the information was provided and its “obligations” to “third parties”.

New contestant Pete Wicks, who was announced last week, is a close friend of Zara, who starred in the 2023 series of Strictly.

Pete has landed a place in the Strictly line-up amid shocking reports that Zara performed on the show with a “broken” leg following an injury in training and needed painkillers to get through ten-hour rehearsals.

Bobby will be making an appearance at the Mentos event on 17 August, where the brand will transform 15 Bateman St, Soho into a vibrant playground of taste, colour and music with a free ‘Pick n Mix’ pop-up event.