Strictly Come Dancing bosses are set to introduce significant format changes for the 2024 series, including the reinstatement of a weekly training hours limit. The cap, which was trialled last season, restricts celebrities and their professional partners to 48 hours of rehearsal per week, equating to roughly eight hours daily with one rest day. The measure aims to level the playing field among contestants who have varying childcare and work commitments.
An insider told the press: 'The celebs have been told they have to stick to the cap. They're all incredibly competitive and desperate to do well. But bosses want to make sure everyone gets a fair crack of the whip, so they've laid out the rules.' The source added that the distribution of hours across the week is entirely up to each celebrity.
The changes come after allegations of abuse from past contestants. Former Love Island presenter Laura Whitmore, who danced with Giovanni Pernice in 2016, expressed distress at 'being removed from everybody' and 'having to spend 12 hours a day with this one person.' The BBC has also tightened rehearsal protocols, including the constant presence of chaperones during practice sessions.
As part of an investigation into bullying allegations, BBC personnel have had their communications, including emails, text messages, and WhatsApp chats, scrutinised. The probe focuses on Giovanni Pernice and Amanda Abbington, with Amanda's representatives submitting a subject access request for all personal data related to their interactions. An insider said: 'People complied with it in the hope that it shoots down any claims of a cover-up.'
Amanda Abbington, who was partnered with Giovanni in 2023, described her experience as 'inappropriate, mean, nasty, and bullying.' She said: 'I was going into the rehearsal room every day. I've been in rehearsal rooms for 32 years. I know what rehearsal rooms are supposed to be like.' Giovanni has denied the allegations and left the show. Meanwhile, Graziano Di Prima was dismissed after footage showed him kicking his 2023 partner, Zara McDermott.
