Greg Rutherford has revealed what surprised him most after signing up for Strictly Come Dancing as he looks back on his time on the show.
The dazzling competition is set to make its long-awaited return on Saturday night after being… plunged into chaos following a bullying scandal.
It was revealed that the BBC had sacked professional dancer Giovanni Pernice earlier this year.Numerous allegations of abusive behaviour followed shortly afterwards, which also led to Graziano Di Prima being sacked.
In an interview with MailOnline, Greg, 37, who starred on the show in 2016 alongside pro Natalie Lowe, spoke about the brutal hours of training, which were “tough both mentally and physically” and shared his advice for contestants.
“I’ll tell you what surprised me. What they love to do on that show is tell you, ‘They only need you a few hours a day and then you’re free.’ It was so much more!” she said.
Greg Rutherford has revealed what surprised him most after signing up for Strictly Come Dancing as he looked back on his time on the show.
In an interview with MailOnline, Greg, 37, who starred on the show in 2016 alongside professional Natalie Lowe, spoke about the brutal hours of training.
The Olympian continued: “I was in that training room 10 to 12 hours a day. If you asked me for advice, I would say, ‘Don’t listen to what they say about times.'”
“It’s hard on the body, both mentally and physically. You know there are up to 12 million people a week watching you do something you’ve never done before. I’d never danced a single step in my life, except at parties, of course.”
Greg, who works with Marella Cruises to help Britons boost hormones crucial for happiness, recalled how professional dancers train “very differently to how you see them in sport”.
‘I was lucky to have a very experienced dancer in Natalie and we tried to have as much fun as possible because it was her last season.
“Of course there is that competitiveness. Nat thought we could make it to the final and I was more realistic. It’s a fascinating place and it’s outside the world I knew. But I went into it thinking I was going to work as hard as I could.”
Commenting on the recent scandals that have marred the competition, he added: “It works both ways, it’s a very intense show and you have dancers who have a very different view of the world to everyone else.
‘Even I, they train in a very different way than I’ve seen in sport. There are clashes.
“I can only speak for myself and I feel incredibly sorry for anyone who has had a bad experience. That’s not why you sign up. I hope they get the help and support they need.”
Greg shared his advice for the contestants: “What they love to do on that show is tell you, ‘They only need you a few hours a day and then you’re free. ’ It was so much more!”
In May, it was revealed that veteran Strictly professional Giovanni Pernice had quit the BBC series, after he was accused of “bullying” fellow celebrity contestant Amanda Abbington.
Graziano Di Prima was later sacked by BBC bosses, after it was claimed he had been “physically and verbally abusive” towards his famous dance partner Zara McDermott.
Greg added: “It’s such a good show it’s a shame they’ve had all these problems. I hope everyone is doing what they can to make sure it doesn’t happen again and that everyone is well looked after.”
The BBC has since introduced a series of safety measures aimed at “strengthening wellbeing and support” behind the scenes after battling to save the series.
In May, it was revealed that veteran Strictly professional Giovanni Pernice had quit the BBC series, after he was accused of “bullying” fellow celebrity contestant Amanda Abbington.
Giovanni has faced a wave of scrutiny since his dance partner Amanda, who he worked with during the last series, dramatically quit the competition last year due to “personal reasons”.
The actress is said to have demanded footage of her rehearsals after having issues with Giovanni’s “militant approach to training.” She was later diagnosed with PTSD.
Amanda is then said to have met up with Laura Whitmore, 39, and Ranvir Singh, 46, for an “emotional summit”, with the trio seemingly opening up about their “difficult” experiences with him.
Graziano was sacked by BBC bosses after it was claimed he had been “physically and verbally abusive” towards his famous dance partner Zara.
Addressing his exit from the show, a “devastated” Graziano wrote on Instagram over the weekend: “I deeply regret the events that led to my departure from Strictly. My intense passion and determination to win may have affected my training regime.
‘While I respect the BBC’s HR process, I recognise that for the sake of the programme it is right that I step away. I am saddened that I have not been allowed to give a quote to Online News and appreciate the sensitivity of the situation.
“There is more to this story that I cannot comment on at this time, but I am committed to staying strong for my family and friends. I wish the Strictly family every success in the future.”
Regarding the scandals, she added: “There are dancers who have a very different vision of the world from others. They train in a very different way from what I have seen in sport. There are clashes.”
MailOnline revealed that Strictly production staff raised concerns about Graziano’s behaviour last year, but bosses only went so far as to issue him silent warnings.
The group had expected him to be sacked immediately. They are said to be furious that their complaints were ignored, meaning the abuse against Zara was allowed to continue.
Graziano has even signed on for the upcoming 2024 series of Strictly.
A source from the show said: “There were multiple occasions where physical and verbal attacks took place. It was more physical than verbal, but it was all appalling.”
It wasn’t until staff got their hands on a video purportedly showing Graziano repeatedly hitting Zara, nine months after her initial complaint, that he was fired.
He has previously been supported by his fans and celebrity friends, including fellow Strictly contestants Katya Jones, Susannah Constantine and Catherine Tyldesley, who liked and commented on his Instagram post announcing his departure.
A source said The sun At that point: ‘Gio feels like the scrutiny on him has become too much and now it’s time to start over.
‘She wants to focus on other TV projects and feels she has achieved all she can on Strictly, having won the trophy in 2021 and reaching the final an unprecedented four times.
‘He remains convinced he has done nothing wrong beyond being a strict taskmaster, but he knows his coaching style is not to everyone’s taste, especially in these times.’
The source added that Giovanni has many “exciting projects” in the works and that they are his priority right now.
Amanda is reportedly considering taking further legal action against Giovanni after the professional dancer allegedly refused to post her rehearsal videos.
Although the former Strictly star has denied the allegations against him, Amanda’s lawyers believe the tapes will support allegations of misconduct against the dancer as the BBC continues to investigate.
Greg added: “I hope everyone is doing what they can to make sure it doesn’t happen again and that everyone is well looked after” (pictured on the show with Natalie in 2016).
The BBC has since introduced a number of safety measures aimed at “building wellbeing and support” behind the scenes ahead of its return (judges Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Shirley Ballas and Anton Du Beke pictured).
The sun It has been revealed that Strictly insiders were wondering “what he had to hide” after he is said to have blocked the publication of training pictures with Amanda.
A source told the publication: “Amanda and her legal team asked to have access to the tapes. The BBC contacted Giovanni and his legal team to obtain their consent but they refused.
‘Amanda’s legal team are now considering lodging an appeal to the Information Commissioner’s Office to gain access to the evidence as they believe it is vital to support her claims.
‘He claims the allegations are false, while she insists they will validate every one of his complaints. To be clear, the BBC is reviewing the tapes and taking them very seriously, but leaking them would implicate information, so they are in an unenviable position.’
Greg has teamed up with Marella Cruises to encourage the country to boost its happiness as he tests the cruise line and University of Sheffield Professor of Wellbeing’s ‘Happiness Hormone’ formula on board Marella Discovery.