After five years on Strictly Come Dancing, partnering the likes of Penny Lancaster and Zoe Ball, he became a trusted fan favourite.
And now former pro Ian Waite has blamed the BBC show’s staffing cuts for recent allegations of abuse suffered by contestants at the hands of their dancers.
The 53-year-old told the Mail the chain’s decision to reduce the number of people in training rooms was unacceptable and sparked a number of complaints about its professional dancers.
He said: ‘About 20 years ago, we had a camera crew of two people and a runner, so we had three people on every training session.
Former Strictly professional Ian Waite has blamed the BBC show’s staffing cuts for recent allegations of abuse suffered by contestants at the hands of their dancers (seen on the show with partner Penny Lancaster in 2007).
Waite’s comments come as the BBC’s flagship show has been plunged into chaos amid allegations of “bullying” and abuse against two of its former dancers, Graziano Di Prima (seen with partner Zara McDermott) and Giovanni Pernice.
‘More recently, what’s happened is that there’s only been one cameraman. That’s it, and they come every other day, so you don’t necessarily get to see everything, and they’re not there for everything.
“There should be someone there all the time to film. For me, it’s a no-brainer because anything can happen. It’s a long, grueling show, and I think it must be very tiring towards the end. I think everything needs to be really documented.”
Waite’s comments come as the BBC’s flagship show is mired in turmoil amid allegations of bullying and abuse against two of its former dancers, Graziano Di Prima and Giovanni Pernice.
Di Prima, 30, admitted kicking fellow Love Island star Zara McDermott during training, while Pernice’s partner Amanda Abbington accused the Italian dancer of bullying her in rehearsals – both while the cameras were off.
Waite, who danced on the show from 2004 to 2009 with the likes of Penny Lancaster and Zoe Ball, added: “There has to be a bible of rules where the boundaries are and what you can and can’t say. That’s something we’ve never been given.”
We need to have protection processes in place, not just for celebrities, but for the safety of everyone involved.
‘We are here to push them as much as possible to achieve the best results.
“This is how it is done. If stricter protection rules are established, we will know exactly what the limits are and what standards we must respect. I think this could be explained to professionals.”
The 53-year-old told the Mail the chain’s decision to reduce the number of people in training rooms was unacceptable and sparked a number of complaints about its professional dancers.
He said: ‘About 20 years ago, we had a two-person camera crew and a runner, so we had three people in every workout’ (seen with Denise Lewis in 2004).
Waite joined Strictly Come Dancing in 2004 and left in 2009; more than 20 years after her first television appearance, she headed to Australia to appear as a professional on Dancing with the Stars.
He told the Mail: “It was very cathartic for me anyway because I had literally just walked away from a nine-year relationship, a marriage that ended and resulted in divorce.
“Then going on Dancing With The Stars in Australia, getting away from it all and being the best version of myself again, really brought my confidence back.”
Waite married airline pilot Drew Merriman in 2017 and their wedding was attended by Strictly judges Anton Du Beke and Craig Revel Horwood and his former dance partner Zoe Ball.
But after seven years of marriage, the couple split earlier this year because they were “incompatible.”
The Mail revealed that Drew is now in a relationship with model John McMahon, who previously won the national modelling competitions Mr. Liverpool North and Mr. British Isles.
This was in collaboration with Bingo Buzz.
Amanda Abbington has accused the Italian dancer of harassing her during rehearsals, both when the cameras were off.