Strictly Come Dancing 'struggling to get female contestants' after misconduct scandals

17 July 2024, 15:06 | Updated: 17 July 2024, 15:11

Strictly Come Dancing is "struggling to secure female contestants" for the next season of the show following two misconduct scandals involving professional dancers.

Women are usually "more keen" to sign up for the show that sees celebrities paired with professional dancers and trained in traditional dance styles.

Contestants and their partners compete on a weekly basis in the Autumn until a winner is crowned just before Christmas.

But the BBC is said to be dealing with "lots of swearing and frustration" as they try to put together this year's cast.

"Usually it is the women who are more keen," a source told MailOnline.

"Not only is it an opportunity to get dressed up but appearing on Strictly is also much more fortuitous for females' careers than men's.

"But word has got around that it isn’t exactly a walk in the park, so getting them has a been a lot more challenging.

"There have been many conversations about how this is dealt with but the immediate problem is this year’s cast."

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It comes after Strictly executives yesterday confirmed celebrity participants will have chaperones in all future rehearsals after misconduct claims against two professional dancers.

The BBC show will also introduce two dedicated welfare producers as they seek to toughen up safeguarding measures.

Strictly introduced the measures after it was announced that professional dancers Graziano Di Prima and Giovanni Pernice will not return for the show's next season after the pair were accused of misconduct.

Graziano Di Prima had his contract terminated last week after a meeting with Strictly bosses, according to the Mail on Sunday.

The 30-year-old was due to appear on the upcoming series until being contacted by the programme’s executives, who wanted to question him about his behaviour, with one show source saying: “Graziano had to go. It has been awful.”

The complaint about Di Prima was made recently and prompted the BBC to extend the inquiry that was ongoing over claims that another former professional, Giovanni Pernice, had bullied his partner Amanda Abbington during training.

Meanwhile Pernice was accused of adopting "militant" training methods for his celebrity partners.

Three of Pernice’s former partners on the show - Laura Whitmore, Michelle Visage and Abbington - have allegedly all contacted a legal firm with complaints about him.