Strictly Come Dancing has won the hearts of viewers since its dazzling debut in 2004. BBC One’s show made a return this year with its 20th series and fans have been hooked, gathering in their millions every weekend to see the stars strut their stuff on the dance floor.
Despite its enduring appeal, it seems the series hasn’t been without its share of drama, including allegations of bullying and steamy behind-the-scenes romances.
These dramatic twists haven’t escaped the notice of devoted Strictly watchers, with some swiftly voicing their concerns to Ofcom.
We’ve compiled a list of the top five Strictly controversies that have sparked the most Ofcom complaints.
Steve Allen’s ‘chubby’ comment
Controversy swirled around LBC broadcaster Steve Allen after he dubbed 2021 contestant Tilly Ramsay a “chubby little thing” live on air, sparking a backlash with over 800 complaints lodged with Ofcom. Sources like The Daily Record claim he faced a whopping 840 grievances and reportedly offered Tilly, chef Gordon Ramsays daughter, a private apology.
Robbie Savage’s ‘crotch’ moment
Next up is Robbie Savage’s infamous crotch stunt, which racked up 325 complaints to Ofcom. The ex-footballer, paired with Ola Jordan, caused an uproar when he danced to Michael Jacksons ‘Bad’, culminating in him jumping onto the judges’ desk and performing a controversial crotch grab.
Savage reflected on the incident speaking to Digital Spy: “I’ve had a bit of bad press this week. It’s really got me down because, you know, during my football career, people said some pretty nasty things about me. And I’ve just gone out there… If I offended anyone, I didn’t mean to. I just went out there to have fun, and surely that’s what it’s all about?”
Same-sex dance
The decision to feature same-sex dance pairings in 2020 ignited backlash, with around 200 complaints to Ofcom over Graziano Di Prima and Johannes Radebe’s routine, reported by OK!
Moreover, when Katya Jones and Nicola Adams were announced as a dancing duo, a further 100 complaints were registered. That wasn’t the end of that year’s disputeover 100 objections came in after a performance celebrating ‘Priscilla Queen of the Desert’ during Musicals Week.
Voting mishap
Another controversy happened in 2008 when a voting error during the semi-finals left audiences irate. Rachel Stevens and Lisa Snowdon ended up tied at the top, rendering votes for third-placed Tom Chambers ineffective. Close to 200 Ofcom complaints followed this blunder.
Bruno breast ‘grab’
One notable incident involved judge Shirley Ballas looking visibly uncomfortable when Bruno Tonioli touched her breasts in 2017, prompting 20 complaints to Ofcom.
A TV insider revealed to The Mirror: “The BBC has now received formal complaints and will be officially looking into them to decide whether Bruno’s behaviour was acceptable. He obviously thought it was light-hearted fun, but you could tell Tess was shocked by her reaction. She looked completely aghast.”
Strictly Come Dancing airs on Saturday and Sunday night on BBC One and iPlayer