Strictly Come Dancing ‘suffered serious issues for 20 years’ as historic complaints about ‘hateful’ show come to light
ACTRESS Stephanie Beecham has hit out at Strictly Come Dancing 17 years after appearing on the show.
It comes after Amanda Abbington spoke about her horror ordeal with Giovanni Pernice on the BBC dance show.
Stephanie was a celebrity contestant in 2007 and danced with Vincent Simone.
Despite being a fan of Strictly and praising current judge Anton Du Beke, Stephanie described her time on the series as “hateful.”
She revealed: “I’m a fan of Strictly and I think Anton Du Beke is doing a terribly good job. But doing it was absolutely hateful.”
She also said her experience wasn’t rare, adding: “I’ve spoken to a few people who have privately admitted they didn’t enjoy it.”
Reflecting on her participation with dance partner Vincent, she concluded, “I was one of the few people who had to say, ‘This was a shoe that didn’t fit,’ thank you so much.”
Strictly Come Dancing is known for its glitz, glamour, and the transformative journey of its celebrities.
But Stephanie’s experience highlights that not all contestants find it as enjoyable as it appears on screen.
Graziano Di Prima was sacked was sacked from Strictly earlier this month following claims he hit, kicked and spat at his celeb partner Zara McDermott, who he danced with last year.
Casualty actress Sarah Manners, who appeared on the second series in 2004, refused to defend Brendan Cole after he branded her “a b***h” and “ladette” and slammed her looks.
Celebrity agent Melanie Blake revealed her client was badly injured on the show.
She tweeted: “One incredibly high profile pro, being so rough with our client that she was injured before they even began, and thus couldn’t enjoy or do her best – same pro wanted to be out to focus on his career.”
Meanwhile, Johnny Ball accused his pro partner of faking an injury to get out of rehearsals with him.
Laura Whitmore said she “cried every day” while training with Giovanni Pernice.
And Countdown star Rachel Riley said being on the show left her with PTSD.
She said: “I needed cognitive behavioural therapy after competing in 2013 and developed post-traumatic stress disorder.
“If I heard the theme music, I’d start reliving the experience. It was scary and unnerving, so my way of dealing with it is to avoid watching.”
At the beginning of the year Amanda told pals that her time on the show had left her with post-traumatic stress disorder.
She also demanded footage of her rehearsals with Giovanni, who left the show in May, and said she was seeking legal advice.
The BBC has launched an internal investigation. Giovanni has denied all the allegations.