Strictly Come Dancing contestant Bethany Antonia has spoken out after the BBC blurred the slogan on her rehearsal T-shirt, a decision that prompted more than 200 complaints from viewers. The wording "PROTECT THE DOLLS" was visible in a training room clip shared on social media but was obscured in the broadcast episode.
The slogan appeared on a T-shirt by fashion designer Conner Ives, first released in 2025. Some viewers accused the broadcaster of censorship, with one fan calling the move "shameful" and "cowardly". Another wrote: "After posting a video, the BBC quietly replaced it with a new one that doesn't show her from the front. During the show, they blurred out the T-Shirt completely. Absolutely despicable."
BBC Statement on the Blurring
In response to the complaints, a BBC spokesperson said: "As is standard practice on any entertainment show on the BBC and in line with our editorial guidelines, appropriate steps are taken to reduce the inclusion of any overt branding or slogans that may be present, regardless of the wording or statement in question."
The broadcaster confirmed in its own report earlier this month that it had received complaints about the blurring of a message on a T-shirt in a training room clip from the show.
Bethany Antonia Defends the Decision
Bethany, who is partnered with pro dancer Nancy Xu, defended the BBC's action. She told Digital Spy: "I think I made a choice to wear that t-shirt without considering the fact that it was linked to a charity, and that it was linked to what some people consider a brand. The BBC had to do what they had to do when they edited it out, to keep it fair for everybody."
Bethany also spoke about her joy at being part of a same-sex pairing on the programme. She said: "When I watched Nicola [Adams] and Katya [Jones] do it for the first time and be the first same-sex pairing, I wasn't out to everyone in my life. Watching them do the show made it so much easier for me to have that conversation with people in my life... It was so important to me to make sure that if I did Strictly, I got to do it with a woman."
Strictly Come Dancing airs Saturday, October 31 at 6.30pm on BBC One.
