Scandalously Come Dancing might be a better name for the British reality competition that gave rise to the U.S. TV show Dancing With the Stars and other international versions. Over the past two decades, BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing has landed in controversy several times, and now the BBC is launching an inquiry into allegations of drug use on set. Here’s a rundown of the bad press DTWS’ forbearer has accumulated.
2008: Voting system malfunction
The BBC had to send all three semi-finalists of Strictly Series 6 through to the final in 2008 after mistakenly allowing viewers to vote for Holby City actor Tom Chambers, even though any number of points Chambers would have received from the public vote wouldn’t have been enough to save him from the last-chance dance-off. And because viewers paid to vote, any votes for Chambers — who, it turns out, went on to win that series — would be a waste of money, per The Guardian. The BBC offered viewers refunds for their payments, and media regulator Ofcom decreed that the mistake was an “oversight” that the network had taken “appropriate steps” to fix, The Guardian later reported.
2009: Accusations of ageism
In 2009, the BBC replaced then-66-year-old Strictly judge Arlene Phillips with then-30-year-old Alesha Dixon, winner of the show’s fifth series. That judging-panel shakeup spurred accusations of ageism, but a spokesperson for the network denied age had anything to do with the decision, per Digital Spy. Thousands of viewers sent complaints to the BBC about Dixon’s casting, and many more complained about her judging ability on the show’s message board, according to BBC News.
2015: Alleged anti-gay snub
The casting process for Strictly Series 13 became contentious when TV presenter C. J. de Mooi claimed he was passed over for a spot in the competition — in favor of Jeremy Vine, his costar on the quiz show Eggheads — because he wanted a male partner. The BBC denied ever considering de Mooi for the show, according to PinkNews. But it didn’t help the situation that a BBC spokesperson told the Daily Mirror that Strictly was “a family show” and that the network had “chosen the traditional format of mixed-sex couples.” The show didn’t get its first same-sex pairing until five years later.
2024: Pro dancer’s exit after allegations of abusive behavior
In 2024, Giovanni Pernice left his post as a pro dancer on Strictly after former partner Amanda Abbington accused him of abusive behavior and quit the show herself, per Deadline. Pernice denied Abbington’s claims, rejecting “any suggestion of abusive or threatening behavior,” according to BBC News. BBC’s internal investigation upheld six of the 16 allegations against him, the Daily Mirror reported.
2024: Another pro’s exit following “distressing” training with partner
Just weeks later, Strictly pro dancer Graziano Di Prima confirmed he, too, was leaving the show, saying he “deeply regret[ted]” the inciting events and admitting his “intense passion and determination to win might have affected [his] training regime,” per BBC News. Later, his former dancing partner Zara McDermott said she had experiences in the Strictly training room that she found “incredibly distressing” to rewatch, as BBC News reported separately. The BBC eventually announced that production staff members would chaperone all future Strictly dance rehearsals.
2025: Contestant’s departure over sexual comments
A series of incidents led to former Strictly contestant Wynne Evans getting axed from the show’s live tour in 2025, according to the Daily Express. One was a Strictly clip in which pro dancer Katya Jones was seen pushing Evans’ hand from around her waist, though he told The Sun (per Express) that viral moment was a “body language experiment.” The second was the sexualized “spit-roast” comment that the Welsh opera singer allegedly directed toward pro dancer Janette Manrara, though he claimed he was actually referring to fellow competitor Jamie Borthwick — specifically, Borthwick’s flexibility. And the third was a video in which Wynne sent a sex toy to Borthwick in what the former called a “stupid joke that backfired.”
2025: Allegations of drug use on set
In 2025, The Sun on Sunday reported that allegations of drug use on Strictly appeared in a legal submission a law firm submitted to the BBC in March on behalf of the aforementioned Evans. The tabloid also reported that Strictly stars’ alleged cocaine use was a common talking point on the show and that other people had reported similar allegations to the BBC. The BBC launched an investigation into the matter, the results of which are still pending as of the time of this writing.
