Complainant on Strictly Come Dancing “fears BBC will sweep investigation under the carpet” over Huw Edwards “disaster”
The actress whose complaints against her dance partner sparked the wave of bad press surrounding the BBC entertainment show Be sure to come and dance “fears that the BBC might sweep its own findings under the carpet,” the British press reported this weekend.
A friend of Amanda Abbington, who withdrew from the 2023 series and later claimed she was abused by her dance partner Giovanni Pernice, said The mirror The newspaper said the BBC had not published the results of its internal investigation because they were due to be released in the same week that former star newsreader Huw Edwards was due to appear in court for producing child abuse images, and “they did not want two disasters in one week.”
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The unnamed friend added The mirror: “They delayed it because of Edwards. We can’t imagine they’re going to do anything other than continue to cover it up and try to cover up the investigation.”
Pernice left the show before the start of the new season but denies any allegations against him. Another dancer, Graziano Di Prima, also left the show this summer. He was fired by the BBC after allegations that he kicked his celebrity partner Zara McDermott during rehearsals last year. Di Prima gave his first interview this weekend in which he denied kicking his dance partner. He said they remained friends and he had not been given a chance to explain the allegations or find out what exactly he was accused of.
The new season of the hit series, which was sold worldwide, including the USA, where it bears its name, Dancing with the stars – is set to begin airing in the next two weeks, with the latest celebrity cast to be fully announced this Monday. It’s the 20thth It’s the 100th anniversary of one of the BBC’s most successful shows, but this important season is overshadowed by many behind-the-scenes stories. The BBC itself published an exclusive investigation last week in which 15 members of the production team complained about their treatment by senior producers and celebrities on the show.
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