BBC Strictly scandal is 'just the start' as ITV show 'next' to face allegations

Amanda Abbington lodged a complaint against Giovanni Pernice (Image: BBC)

It seems the allegations against the stars of Strictly Come Dancing just keep on coming, but an expert believes this is only the beginning.

The BBC series has been at the centre of a storm in recent months, beginning when Amanda Abbington lodged a formal complaint against her dance partner Giovanni Pernice.

The Sherlock actress, 50, claimed she was bullied by Giovanni, branding his behaviour "abusive and cruel". She criticised the "toxic environment" at Strictly during her first live interview with Christine Lampard.

The Italian dancer, 33, was suspended by the BBC pending an investigation. Giovanni has denied all claims against him.

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Graziano Di Prima was the next professional named amongst gross misconduct allegations. He later admitted to kicking Zara McDermott during rehearsals, leading to his axe from the BBC series.

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Graziano Di Prima admitted to kicking Zara McDermott (Image: BBC)

Since then, old training clips have resurfaced, while former contestants and pros have shared their negative experiences of taking part in the series.

While no one else is yet to be named, toxic workplace expert, Colin D Ellis believes this is only the beginning of the scandal. He told Express.co.uk: "No one should be surprised at the recent allegations of poor behaviour and culture at the TV show Strictly Come Dancing.

"Similar allegations have been made in the past at TV shows such as BGT, Saturday Night Live and even the Ellen Show."

He declared: "This is not the end of the story, it's the start. We should expect revelations not only from other reality shows such as Dancing on Ice, but also TV shows and movies too."

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The author explained why a place like Strictly is the "perfect grounds" for a toxic workplace. He said: "High-stakes competitive environments where excellence is demanded without first establishing clear norms and expectations, are fertile ground for a toxic culture to take root.

"When we fail to define how teamwork should function and what constitutes appropriate behaviour, we leave the door open for dysfunction."

The expert added: "This ambiguity can lead to a misguided pursuit of "high performance" that actually enables verbal and even physical mistreatment."

BBC Strictly scandal is 'just the start' as ITV show 'next' to face allegations

BBC Strictly scandal is 'just the start' as ITV show 'next' to face allegations

BBC Strictly scandal is 'just the start' as ITV show 'next' to face allegations

BBC Strictly scandal is 'just the start' as ITV show 'next' to face allegations

BBC Strictly scandal is 'just the start' as ITV show 'next' to face allegations