Bullying scandal should not take shine off Strictly, says contestant Sam Quek
Strictly Come Dancing contestant Sam Quek has insisted that the bullying row will not take the shine off the show, claiming there are “two sides to the truth”.
The former England hockey player and Question of Sport presenter said that she had paid no attention to the scandal hanging over the programme.
“It didn’t cross my mind at all,” said Quek, an Olympic gold medallist. Of the celebrities who have made allegations about their treatment in the Strictly rehearsal room, she said: “No disrespect – everyone has a different experience and I don’t know what their experience was.
“There’s two sides to the truth. It shouldn’t take the shine off Strictly. It’s a fantastic programme. Everyone loves it for the energy. On Saturday nights, it brings people together. It’s just a positive show.”
The BBC is preparing to release the findings of a review into bullying allegations made by Amanda Abbington about her partner last year, Giovanni Pernice. He denies the claims but has left the show.
Graziano Di Prima, another professional dancer, was dropped from Strictly over his behaviour in the rehearsal room towards partner Zara McDermott. He admitted kicking her, saying it was an isolated incident that he deeply regrets.
Aljaz Skorjanec, who has rejoined the show as a replacement for Di Prima, is facing a new claim in The Sun that he was involved in a “shocking” altercation with a female professional on the 2022 Strictly tour. He denies the claim.
BBC executives must decide whether to release the review findings before Saturday’s show, which will overshadow its launch, or to delay it until the series is under way.
Only six women have signed up for the show this year, alongside nine men. In addition to Quek, the female contestants are Toyah Willcox, the singer; Montell Douglas, the Gladiators athlete; Tasha Ghouri, a former Love Island star; Punam Krishan, a TV doctor; and Sarah Hadland, the actress.
Hadland, best known for her role in the comedy series Miranda, said she felt reassured by the BBC’s introduction of extra duty-of-care measures, which include chaperones in the rehearsal room.
“We’ve been introduced to so many people that are there for support. It feels like a lot of things have been put into place, so I certainly feel like we couldn’t be doing it in a better environment in terms of being well looked-after,” Hadland said.
The male contestants this year include Paul Merson, the former Arsenal star. He follows in the footsteps of Tony Adams, his former teammate, who competed last year.
‘Doing it for my mum’
Merson said that Adams had given him one word of advice about taking part in the show: “Don’t.”
“He said it’s the hardest thing he’s ever done. He said, ‘I’ve never felt so nervous’, and you’re talking about one of the greatest – an England captain, who played in front of 100,000. He said there’s nothing worse,” said Merson.
However, he ignored Adams’s advice and decided to take part in Strictly as a treat for his mother.
He explained: “I’m doing it for my mum. If it wasn’t for my dad I wouldn’t have been a footballer; my dad took me everywhere to play football. I’m giving something back to my mum, because my mum never really got the credit she deserved.
“This is her favourite programme on TV and I promised I’d go on it.”
Merson said his dance experience was limited. “I don’t know how much I’m going to embarrass myself. I’m not going to lie – I’m well out of my comfort zone,” he said.
“I’ve danced three times, and they were all at my weddings.”
