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JANE ATKINSON
The BBC can’t expect us to fully embrace toxic Strictly unless it takes immediate and drastic action
Those disgraceful BBC bosses who have overseen this disaster need to start again and scrub the show clean
STRICTLY was once TV’s glitziest show – a winning product for contestants, dancers, viewers and BBC bosses.
Now it’s a tarnished version of its former self, with hideous allegations of misconduct continuously quick-stepping through the glitterball competition.
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It may be returning in six weeks’ time but the BBC can’t expect any of us to fully embrace this toxic show unless it takes some immediate and drastic action.
The misconduct allegations include claims of physical and verbal abuse, of one contestant leaving with PTSD and another being kicked.
Reputations have been ripped apart. Lives have been turned upside down. And all for a TV competition that has become more ruthless and more cut-throat year by year.
The BBC has covered up this mess, leaving it to this newspaper to expose the truth after brave Amanda Abbington first blew the whistle. She alleged “threatening and abusive behaviour” by Giovanni Pernice last year.
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She quit, sought legal advice, requested BBC footage of training sessions and said her time with Pernice had left her with PTSD and physical injuries.
Presenter Laura Whitmore and Good Morning Britain’s Ranvir Singh both said how difficult they had found their partnership with the Italian.
He has denied any wrongdoing but quit, saying his reputation has been damaged and he wants to clear his name.
Last Sunday, we revealed Graziano Di Prima was sacked after kicking Zara McDermott during rehearsals last year.
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On Thursday, his spokesman said: “There is never a time when kicking, or any sense of that, is right. And he knows that. He knows he’s made a mistake. He apologised at the time.”
But that doesn’t at all excuse his vile behaviour.
BBC in Strictly legal payout bombshell
The only way for the BBC to polish up Strictly is to finalise this investigation then come clean to the public and be totally transparent about what they have unearthed.
Scrub show clean
No doubt, then, there will be celebrities, and potentially professional dancers, rushing to get duty-of-care negligence payouts — faster than you can say “no win, no fee”.
It could cost more than £1million.
This might be to the utter annoyance of some licence-fee payers — but the BBC has to pay up. If the wronged Strictly stars had worked at any other corporate company, they would expect compensation for loss, suffering or injury.
So why should working at the BBC be any different?
Those disgraceful BBC bosses who have overseen this disaster need to start again and scrub the show clean.
The curse of Strictly, thanks to chaperones in all rehearsals, could make way for the return of a magical, family-friendly competition.
To do that, the BBC needs to sign up more of the characters we loved in the past, such as John Sergeant, Ed Balls and Ann Widdecombe, instead of focusing on those with perfect poise.
Then it could be a winning show again, for all the right reasons.
And perhaps then, Tess Daly, could truly twirl back on to the floor with a gigantic smile on her face and ask everyone to “keep dancing”.
Without expecting us all to give a resound-ing “Foxtrot off!”
Lisa's no jean-ius, she needs to zip it
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LISA SNOWDON should maybe read the room before she opens her mouth.
On ITV’s This Morning fashion segment The Ultimate Summer Trousers, Lisa gave a warning about skinny jeans, saying: “Stay away from the skinny jeans. Who looks good in a skinny jean except for Elizabeth Hurley?”
Alison Hammond replied: “Oh, I do like a skinny jean!” Lisa hit back: “Yeah, but it just shows lumps and bumps that aren’t there.”
Poor Alison continued: “Do you think?”
The camera returned to Alison, wearing . . . a pair of skinny jeans.
Happily, Alison ignored Lisa’s fashion tips and wore her beloved skinnies again on Friday.
Going cold
COLD FEET star Fay Ripley is a great actress but sounds like a woman who needs to take a good, strong look at herself.
She says she is an overprotective “helicopter” parent and acknowledged being “claustrophobic” with her children Parker, 21, and Sonny, 17.
She says she is suffering so badly from the “heartbreak” of pending empty-nest syndrome that she can’t wait to fill the gap with a grandparenting role in which she will BREASTFEED.
Gross.
Get a hobby, get a dog, get a new job?
Insta's true power
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WE have had days of hideous tech glitches, thanks to a software error that sent the world’s computer systems into meltdown.
And there are reports the social media post pictured above is fake, as the account has been hacked.
Well, I hope they’re wrong.
On Tuesday this post put on the official Instagram page of Sheikha Mahra bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the daughter of the ruler of Dubai, informed her husband she was divorcing him.
Dubai is a country where women often play second fiddle and getting a divorce remains a challenge for many of them.
But the princess apparently doesn’t give a damn about that as she posts the message to her husband of a year and the father of her daughter.
She says: “Dear Husband. As you are occupied with other companions, I hereby declare our divorce. I divorce you, I divorce you, I divorce you. Take care. Your ex-wife.”
Social media has become a place where we can all air our grievances and now this woman has broken the protocol of her country and family to show true girl power.
Good on her.
Kebab heaven
ANY new fried, fat-laden takeaway has most likely been invented north of the border – and the latest delightful-sounding delicacy is no exception.
Scotland’s Paisley Pie Company has put a doner kebab made up of a lamb, beef, chicken and turkey mix inside a puff-pastry case.
It may be 1,550 calories but imagine how delightful a kebab pie would taste after a heavy night out.
Tweak at the knees
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HOPEFULLY there is going to be a new drug available to us humans that has, so far, only been tested on mice – but could potentially extend lives by up to 25 per cent.
It’s what we have all been waiting for.
Scientists have called it the “supermodel granny” drug and say it is a “tantalising” and “exciting” finding for human treatments.
The mice were leaner, fitter, less prone to cancer and lived for months longer.
I can’t wait to get my hands on it. I love anything that can stave off the advance of time.
My latest tweakment this month involved having “exosome therapy” on my crinkly knees.
After some micro-needling, and a fair bit of blood, the lovely aesthetics nurse Rebecca Taylor spread a serum made from cow milk on to my knees.
The plan is that it will promote collagen and skin elasticity so I can turn back time and my knees will be more supermodel than granny.
I can’t wait.
Clearly not one for vegans, though.
lIMAGINE the faces on Harry and Meghan after discovering David and Victoria Beckham’s Netflix documentary got five Emmy nominations, while their six-part docu-series got none.
They will no doubt be fuming about their former friends success, especially when Harry and Meghan are trying to rival the “patriotic” Beckhams. But they’ve only got themselves to blame.
Nobody wants to watch a vile pair of backbiters who go out of their way to be nasty and cause mayhem in their families. The Beckhams were a joy to watch.
The Academy gave them the nominations for their talent.
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Most of us just loved the series because the Beckhams have remained down to Earth, showed off their sense of humour and love for their family and highlighted how they have overcome some hideous knocks without having huge chips on their shoulders.
Maybe Harry and Meghan should tune in and take some notes.
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