She took over from the late Sir Bruce Forsyth when he stopped presenting Strictly Come Dancing a decade ago.
But now Claudia Winkleman has been dragged into the show’s scandal from before it hosted spin-off It Takes Two.
She regularly featured clips of professional dancers on the show, some of which showed them behaving abrasively towards their celebrity partners.
Several historic videos have resurfaced in recent days, including one in which James Jordan can be heard threatening to drag actress Georgina Bouzova to the ground and yelling “kill her” during the 2006 series.
It was Winkleman, 52, who introduced the video, which sparked a new controversy last week. Halfway through the recording, as Bouzova sat next to him, he mocked the footage and declared Jordan to be “an extraordinary human being.”
Claudia Winkleman’s BBC colleagues, pictured here with co-presenter Tess Daly, fear her involvement in the historical clips could have a negative impact on her
In a historic clip from 2006, James Jordan can be heard threatening to drag actress Georgina Bouzova to the ground.
Giovanni Pernice, 33, is expected to be cleared of bullying his former partner, Sherlock actress Amanda Abbington.
Graziano Di Prima was fired for allegedly kicking his famous partner Zara McDermott once
In another clip, Jordan is again seen verbally abusing Ms Bouzova while fellow professional dancer Brendan Cole shouts at Emmerdale actress Claire King.
The BBC played Duran Duran’s Wild Boys in the background, and Ms Winkleman said: “What better way to launch a new show than with a visit from the wild boys from Strictly.”
The videos have been shared tens of thousands of times on social media and now Winkleman’s colleagues at the BBC fear that her involvement – which is now being widely condemned by viewers – could have a negative impact on her.
“Claudia was doing her job at a time when the BBC clearly thought that kind of behaviour was acceptable,” said one interviewee. “She was reading what was written in a script, but the behaviour is taken lightly and has not gone unnoticed on online platforms. It was certainly different times, but unfortunately it is now being looked at through today’s lens. Of course, Claudia would never have thought that treating someone like that was okay.”
The revelations about Strictly come ahead of the launch of its 20th anniversary series.
Another professional dancer is believed to be the subject of allegations after the behaviour of Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima hit the headlines.
But The Mail on Sunday can reveal Pernice, 33, is expected to be cleared of bullying his former partner, Sherlock actress Amanda Abbington.
The Italian dancer, who denies any wrongdoing, has been informed of Abbington’s allegations in recent weeks and has refuted them. He has met with BBC bosses and expects a verdict next week.
As part of the BBC’s investigation, a number of professional and celebrity dancers were asked whether they had witnessed any incidents where Pernice had harassed Abbington, 52. They are all believed to have said no. A source familiar with the inquiry said: “Giovanni has seen everything that has been said to him and has been able to refute it all. He is now awaiting the BBC’s verdict but as far as he is concerned he has done nothing wrong and there is no evidence to suggest he has.”
The verdict will be announced three months after the investigation began. Many connected to the show are furious at the length of time it has taken to be resolved and believe it has made matters worse. Allegations that Anton Du Beke had told his 2009 partner Leila Rouass that she “looked like an idiot” for having a spray tan resurfaced yesterday. Du Beke immediately apologised after making the comment.
According to Strictly sources, Ms Abbington had urged Ms Rouass to come forward to law firm Carter Ruck. They believe she might not have done so if the investigation had been completed sooner.
The BBC has not spoken to Du Beke, but is unlikely to do so as the matter has been discussed at the time.
And in another headache for Strictly bosses, it can be revealed that their golden couple, professional dancers Nadiya Bychkova and Kai Widdrington, have split.
The pair, who will join their fellow professional dancers in training for Strictly today, are at war following a huge row after their 18-month romance came to an end.
Ms Bychkova, 34, pulled out of performing alongside Widdrington at a Strictly Come Dancing-themed event, Donaheys’ Dancing With The Stars, on Friday night at the five-star Celtic Manor Resort in Newport.
Guests on the two-night weekend, which cost £700 a person, were expecting the pair to give a waltz lesson, but Bychkova failed to turn up and was replaced by Latin dancer Rebecca Scott. This came days after it emerged that Bychkova had made a complaint to BBC bosses about matters relating to Strictly, something she later denied.
A source close to the estranged couple said: ‘Nadiya is really angry with Kai. God knows how this will end… she doesn’t want to be in the same room as him.
“They’ve had a huge row and things are bad between them. They have a whole series of dances to get through in the same show. The Strictly team are preparing for this nightmare now.”
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