I’m a Strictly expert – here’s why Piers Morgan signing up could save the scandal-hit show
PIERS Morgan previously offered himself up as a potential competitor for the 2024 series of Strictly Come Dancing.
As scandals continue to mount ahead of the 20th anniversary, could the Uncensored star be the saviour of the show?
Over recent weeks Strictly Come Dancing has been fighting for it’s very existence after the show was completely ridden with a number of scandals.
Amanda Abbington has spoken out about the alleged abuse she faced at the hands of her professional dancer, Giovanni Pernice.
The Sherlock star labelled him as ‘cruel’ and ‘abusive’ after she was the first star to blow the whistle after a number of celebrities participated in the BBC probe.
This comes after Graziano Di Prima was sacked from his role in the dancing competition.
He admitted that he ‘kicked’ Zara McDermott during rehearsals, and the corporation has since made a number of backstage changes in a bid to save the show.
As the show faces its biggest crisis ever, bosses need to up the ante with the lineup.
So far, we reported that the likes of EastEnders actor Jamie Borthwick, former Towie star Pete Wicks, and Love Island‘s Tasha Ghouri had signed up to the show.
But under the shadow of the upcoming 20th Anniversary, the BBC show might need a huge A-list name to make sure viewers tune in.
That could come in the form of none other than Piers Morgan, who has previously offered to sign onto the show.
But with all the current scandals, he may just be what the beleaguered programme needs.
Star Power
Piers is no stranger to being in the spotlight.
After an esteemed career as a tabloid editor, the media personality dove head first into the world of showbiz.
Simon Cowell saw his talents and signed him up to be a judge on the debut series of America’s Got Talent over in the US.
The show was an overnight success and he since sat on the judging panel on Britain’s Got Talent.
Piers would fill the frankly desperate void of missing star power.
After his winning appearance on Donald Trump‘s Celebrity Apprentice, he went onto host a self-titled show on CNN and he broke ratings records on Good Morning Britain.
Most recently he hosted TalkTV‘s flagship show, Piers Morgan Uncensored before taking the interview and debate programme onto YouTube.
It’s safe to say that with a CV like that, Piers has cultivated a worldwide following over the years.
The impressive following on his X/Twitter account alone stands at over 8million people.
With a soap actor, numerous reality stars and a daytime TV presenter on the list, Piers would fill the frankly desperate void of missing star power.
Strictly's Full Scandal So Far
Strictly Come Dancing's scandal has been growing over the past few months, with several major players speaking out about what went on. Here are the key moments of what's happened so far
16th May: Giovanni Pernice sensationally quits Strictly Come Dancing after nine years on the show.
17th May: Giovanni becomes the centre of an official investigation after three former partners – believed to be Amanda Abbington, Laura Whitmore and Ranvir Singh – make complaints to the BBC.
16th June: Giovanni releases an official statement vowing to clear his name and denies any wrongdoing.
8th July: Strictly confirms Aljaz Skorjanec will return to the series, replacing Giovanni, after initially quitting the show two years ago.
10th July: Amanda Abbington launches fresh legal proceedings to get the rehearsal footage from her time with Giovanni, after allegedly he refused to release the videos.
13th July: Graziano Di Prima is axed from Strictly for “gross misconduct” after footage of his treatment of Zara McDermott is brought to the attention of the BBC.
Graziano quickly broke his silence, apologising for his behaviour in a statement and saying he “deeply regrets it”, adding his “intense passion and determination to win might have affected his training regime.”
15th July: Strictly bosses implement new duty of care protocols, including having a chaperone present throughout all rehearsals.
16th July: Zara McDermott speaks out publicly for first time. She states while the production team were “amazing to work with”, she found the rehearsal room “completely different”, confirming there’s footage of “certain situations”.
19th July: Anton Du Beke is put under the spotlight for his “1970s attitude” and treatment of female celeb stars, particularly after allegedly referring to 2009 partner Laila Rouass as a “p***” after getting a spray tan.
21st July: Paralympian Will Bayley, who has limb condition arthrogryposis, revealed he was encouraged to leap from a table during a dance routine, despite fears. The stunt caused an injury that forced him to withdraw from the show.
22nd July: MasterChef’s Gregg Wallace admits he broke down in tears and got a nasty stress rash on his face during his time on Strictly in 2014.
22nd July: Despite ongoing issues, the Strictly professional cast begin rehearsals for this year’s series.
23rd July: Celebrity agent Melanie Blake claims she was sexually assaulted by an unnamed pro dancer while backstage on the show, and claims she witnessed ageism, rudeness and a rough treatment to the point of injury.
23rd July: Strictly is forced to beef up security after ‘an intruder scales the wall of the rehearsal studio’.
23rd July: BBC boss Tim Davie breaks his silence on the ongoing allegations against Strictly, saying he is ‘deeply sorry’, adding: “Hundreds of people, be they pros, contestants or crew have been part of it and had a brilliant experience.
“At the same time if someone thinks there was something wrong or they want to talk about their experience then of course we want them to raise that with us. Be in no doubt we will take it seriously, listen and deal with it as appropriate.”
24th July: Strictly 2023 star Krishnan Guru-Murthy holds a bombshell interview with Amanda Abbington on Channel 4 news, where she claims she was bullied, with some of the ‘humilation being of a sexual nature’.
27th July: Laura Whitmore releases a statement regarding her Strictly experience, saying “I thought my experience was specific to me but I’ve since learned I was wrong”.
She adds she is not part of the official complaint, but has come forward to support Amanda with the BBC, alongside others.
28th July: Laila Rouass speaks out against the accusations regarding Anton Du Beke, saying she “never felt pressured” by him and “personally insisted on six to seven hours training a day”.
Bring back the pantomime
I previously wrote that in order to save the show, the BBC would have to go back to basics, and Strictly should go back to its roots.
We used to see the likes of Brendan Cole and Dancing On Ice winner James Jordan regularly push back against the judges for seemingly unfair criticism.
It was the on-screen pantomime element at its best, and nobody would do this better than Piers Morgan.
Piers is known for his competitive nature and his outspoken views at the best of times.
Piers would make the Dancing On Ice clashes look tame in comparison!
If given the opportunity, I have absolutely no doubt that he would more than deliver on Strictly.
I have no doubt whatsoever that he would push back against the judges criticism and would take the show back to its needed pantomime-style roots.
Just imagine the potential clashes he would have with Craig Revel Horwood; it would make the Dancing On Ice clash of Gemma Collins and Jason Gardiner look tame in comparison!
The controversy factor
It’s not a secret that Strictly has been filled with controversies in recent months, but the jewel in the BBC’s crown is dangerously close to smashing to pieces.
The BBC might need to make a huge statement to show that they really are strong enough to pull through and save Strictly.
Piers made a name for himself over the decades for confronting controversial moments head-on.
From his fiery, highly-publicised debates on GMB to his successful column for The Sun, it’s clear that Piers is not backward in coming forward.
The BBC might need to make a huge statement to save the show
It would be a huge signal that they mean serious business if they were to sign a personality like Piers.
They would prove to their millions of previously loyal viewers that they may just have the proper backbone to save the primetime show.
Let’s be honest, if they don’t deliver, they could be abandoned by millions and the show could truly end after a tumultuous two decades.
The other side of the panel
Piers understands television and he knows the showbiz industry inside and out.
He’s always been fiercely competitive, and on X, he wrote that he would want his dance partner to be “tough, brutal and uncompromising.”
Let’s also be honest with ourselves; it would also be brilliant to see him on the other side of the panel.
This is the man who cemented his mainstream celebrity statement sitting on the panels of AGT and BGT.
It would be incredible to see the ultimate television judge in a position of appraisal in front of millions
His sharp takes, high standards, and uncompromising nature made him a favourite amongst talent show fans in both the UK and across the pond.
It would be incredible to see the ultimate television judge in a position of appraisal by both the star judges and millions of viewers.
The fact that he’s also not afraid of a challenge is a huge bonus, and it could potentially be the perfect antidote for the recent squirming of execs.
With lots of charm, bundles of charisma, a feisty & competitive attitude, and star power coming out of his finger tips, I could think of no better addition to save the show than Piers Morgan!
Strictly Come Dancing 2024: The cast
Who is confirmed to take part in the upcoming series of Strictly?
Jamie Borthwick – The EastEnders star was the first upcoming competitor to be revealed to be on the show by The Sun. He previously won the Christmas special of Strictly Come Dancing in 2023. The actor was given a perfect score of 40 by the judges after dancing the Quickstep with Nancy Xu.
Nick Knowles – The TV presenter is understood to have signed up to the show after months of talks with bosses. He previously teamed up with some of the dance show’s pros, including Katya Jones and Luba Mushtuk for DIY SOS.
Pete Wicks – The former Towie personality is is the best friend of former competitor Zara McDermott’s boyfriend Sam Thompson. It’s his first break into Primetime television after he appeared on shows such as Celebs Go Dating, Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins and The Real Full Monty – where he stripped naked for charity.
Paul Merson – The Sky pundit and former Arsenal legend is set to swap the sports studio for the BBC dancefloor. He previously overcome drink, drug and gambling addictions.
Chris McCausland – In a first for the show, Strictly has signed up the blind comedian. The 46-year-old CBeebies actor lost his sight aged 22 due to a hereditary condition. This was after the hit competition featured deaf EastEnders actress Rose Ayling-Ellis in 2021.
Tom Dean – A day after The Sun revealed the 24-year-old would take to the dancefloor, the Olympian made his own announcement. He was part of the British relay team which won Gold at the 4x200m men’s freestyle event. After accepting his medal, he will hotfoot it back to the UK for rehearsals.
Tasha Ghouri – The former reality TV star shot to fame on Love Island in 2022, but she has years of dance experience. She has a First Class Honours degree in Dance Performance, appeared in various music videos and took part in one of Europe’s biggest dance competitions, Move It.
