Judge Craig Revel Horwood speaks out on ‘shock’ of scandal engulfing BBC reality series

Come and dance in a pinch Judge Craig Revel Horwood has ruled on the scandal currently surrounding the popular BBC reality series.

In the last days, Strictly The show has been rocked by allegations of backstage abuse of contestants. Professional dancer Graziano Di Prima was fired from the show after allegations he mistreated celebrity dance partner Zara McDermott during last year’s competition. It was previously revealed that professional dancer Giovanni Pernice would not appear in the upcoming series, amid speculation over his teaching methods.

Horwood, who is a judge at Strictly alongside Motsi Mabuse, Shirley Ballas and Anton du Beke, addressed the scandal during an appearance on BBC Radio Wales.

“It’s a shock and news to me,” he said, claiming to have heard about the allegations “through the press.”

“The judges are never present at any class and we literally come in on a Saturday and judge what we see in front of us,” he added. “We are very, very separated from the rest of the troupe, so for us it’s total news.”

Horwood, 59, added that he would “wait and see” what the BBC’s ongoing investigations reveal before making a decision.

Earlier this week, the BBC announced that contestants will now be accompanied by a member of the show’s production team during rehearsals, and that the series will also bring in two new dedicated welfare producers.

“When I was in (a production of the musical) Annie“We had chaperones everywhere because of the kids and the laws and all that,” he continued. “I noticed in the theater world, we have chaperones and people you can talk to if you’re having a bad day.

“So now we have psychologists on shows and all that. I think it’s just a normal evolution of what happens in life.”

After his departure, Di Prima said he “deeply regrets the events that led to his departure from Strictly“, later admitting that he had “kicked” the former The Island of Love star McDermott during a rehearsal.

A spokesman for Di Prima told BBC News: “There is never a time when it is right to kick or feel that way. And he knows that.”

Pernice, for his part, has “always rejected any suggestion of abusive or threatening behaviour” and described the allegations against him as “simply false”.