Exactly this time last year, Strictly bosses pulled off one of their biggest coups yet: hiring Angela Rippon, the original queen of ballroom dancing, capable of doing the splits and high kicks.
There was much praise, not to mention high hopes, that he would be one of their best signings to date, one that would delight spectators.
What a difference a year makes. This week, there were no champagne corks popped at BBC headquarters. Instead, there was another crisis meeting to discuss the ongoing scandal that has engulfed one of Strictly’s best-loved and longest-serving professional dancers, Giovanni Pernice.
Following a complaint from his ex-partner Amanda Abbington, who claimed he had bullied her in training and accused him of stamping on her foot during their practice sessions, the BBC has launched an investigation.
To the dismay of his fans, Giovanni quit, while Amanda seemed to do everything she could to damage his reputation, friends say.
Giovanni Pernice and his ex-partner Amanda Abbington on last year’s Strictly Come Dancing
Giovanni, one of Strictly’s most beloved and longest-serving professional dancers, has been embroiled in a scandal.
Now, as the show approaches its 20th anniversary, the Mail can reveal bosses are concerned about the future of the programme as a whole, after a new complaint, unrelated to Giovanni, came to light.
Sources tell me this complaint is so damaging that Strictly is in “total chaos” as the next series approaches its launch.
It can now be revealed that this latest breakdown came after another complaint was made relating to someone directly involved with Strictly.
The exact nature of the complaint is shrouded in secrecy and known in full only to senior BBC management, but I have been told, ominously, that it is “not a pretty sight”.
So much so that the entire culture of Strictly is now under scrutiny, and behind the scenes there are fears for its long-term future.
“It’s about much more than Giovanni now, the reputation of the entire show is at stake,” a source tells me. “What was an investigation into Giovanni and Amanda’s bruised toe (after the stomping allegation) is now a much wider investigation.
“This could affect the reputation of the whole show and its wonderful history. It’s about Strictly now, not Gio.
‘Something has recently been reported that suggests it significantly downplays the claims against Giovanni.
Amanda claimed Giovanni had bullied her in training and accused him of stamping on her foot during their practice sessions, prompting the BBC to launch an investigation.
A Strictly source said: ‘Giovanni lost his Strictly career because of Amanda’
‘If all this happens as the BBC fears, Giovanni could be further collateral damage in a much wider situation.
“It’s a nightmare for the BBC, but it is absolutely confident that it will deal with this matter appropriately and that all sides of every story will be heard.”
This is, then, why Giovanni, who left the show in May despite having been given a new contract, had to wait so long for the outcome of the BBC’s investigation into him.
It is, say friends of the Italian dancer, something he finds “extremely frustrating”.
A preview of all this turmoil became public on Monday when there was a surprise announcement that former fan favorite, square-jawed Slovenian Aljaz Skorjanec, who won with Abbey Clancy in 2013, would be returning after a two-year absence.
Although his numerous fans were absolutely thrilled, they were baffled by the moment.
After all, it comes a month after the Corporation announced the full lineup of professional dancers for the upcoming series, and this initial lineup had already been delayed due to Giovanni’s resignation.
Some within the show also questioned why Aljaz was not featured alongside the other professionals.
Insiders said the press had not been given any warning about her return, but the announcement was made on BBC magazine programme The One Show on Monday night.
There was also no explanation as to why they returned, which only raised more questions, because the roster of professionals already had enough to pair up with celebrities, plus some extras to cover the group dances.
“Is he coming back to replace Giovanni or for some other reason?” mused one BBC employee.
“It was a rather convenient way of doing it – putting it on The One Show, where the questions are controlled by the BBC and nothing inappropriate would be asked.”
What a terrible disaster, then, for a program that has been going strong since 2004.
This time last year, Strictly bosses pulled off one of their biggest coups yet: hiring the original queen of ballroom dancing, Angela Rippon.
Of course, it has not been without controversy (the ‘Strictly curse’ has been held responsible for the breakdown of many marriages and relationships), but to date, the BBC has always managed to weather any crisis.
But the latest complaint is “something completely different,” says a source at the broadcaster.
Even without this new twist, the BBC feared the way Giovanni, 33, has been dragged through an arduous complaints process could affect how fans receive the next series, which begins in September.
Internally, there has been discussion about how many of her viewers, thanks to her older age group, feel that Amanda, 50, is simply complaining that Giovanni made her work hard and that Strictly has now “gone soft”.
The bosses are well aware that the scandal has become divisive, with most siding with Giovanni rather than Amanda.
In short, BBC bosses are painfully aware that there is a lot of sympathy for Giovanni. Although he hopes to be exonerated, those close to him say the past eight months have been “torrid”.
“He’s had to watch Amanda throw accusations at him and although he’s strong and firmly believes he’s innocent, there’s only so much anyone can take. Giovanni wants this to end so he can speak his mind.”
And his opinion will also have huge implications for the future of Strictly.
There is a feeling among bosses that Giovanni himself could accuse the BBC of failing in its duty of care towards him by pairing him with Amanda without carrying out proper testing on her (or, indeed, on any of its celebrity contestants to date).
While other reality shows have strict procedures in place to ensure everyone taking part is capable (including Strictly’s ITV rival Dancing On Ice), the BBC has never done this.
A Strictly source said: ‘Giovanni has a clear case against the BBC here too, and there are bosses who are very concerned about it.
‘Giovanni lost his career on Strictly because of Amanda, and the fact is she wasn’t tested in any way to see if she was up to it.
‘They haven’t done this for 20 years, so they’re putting people at risk.
“In Gio’s case, he was paired with a woman who, frankly, shouldn’t have been allowed to participate and look what happened to her. It’s unbelievable, really. Things are going to have to change.”
As for the Class of 2024, bosses are said to be “still looking” to round out what they hope will be a stellar line-up of contestants.
They were “heartbroken” by the tragic death of Mail columnist and health guru Dr Michael Mosley, who they had hoped would be the star of this year’s show. To add insult to injury, there are now said to be “struggles” to get the big names they want.
While many celebrities have long turned down invitations to appear on the show, due to the “Strictly curse” connotation, there are now fears that Amanda’s claims and insults against the show will put off any major talent linked to Strictly as it remains under the microscope.
“They were more advanced than last year in terms of knowing who was going to participate,” says one of those working on the program.
Meanwhile, the BBC remains publicly silent on the issue.
A situation that surely cannot last much longer, for the sake of the future of the much-loved glitter ball.
