Strictly Come Dancing couples ‘don’t always get along’, says former show dancer

Former Strictly Come Dancing dancer Janette Manrara has spoken frankly about the relationships between professionals and their celebrity partners.

The BBC ballroom competition show has been engulfed in a scandal over the alleged treatment of contestants after Amanda Abbington made claims about Giovanni Pernice.

The broadcaster subsequently launched an investigation into his conduct but the outcome has not yet been made public. Pernice, 34, who is not on the line-up this year, vehemently denies the allegations.

Graziano Di Prima, 30, also departed from Strictly after claims he ‘kicked’ Zara McDermott, 27. He later said he ‘wasn’t meaning to kick’ the former Love Island star.

Addressing the controversy surrounding Strictly, Manrara, who was a dancer on the show from 2013 until 2021, admitted that some couples ‘just don’t get along’ and expressed her sadness over the furor.

On Naga Munchetty’s BBC Radio 5 Live show, the 40-year-old said: ‘The controversy around Strictly has made me sad. It’s my 11th year on it and I know how hard every single person works.

‘Everybody puts in so much time and effort to make it the best possible show. So when you hear someone hasn’t had a great experience, it does kill you a little bit.

‘You just want everyone to have the best time and do their absolute best, and that’s not always the case. Some couples just don’t get along. You don’t always get on with the people you work with – that’s just the way of the world.’

After allegations about dancers’ conduct, the BBC announced major changes to support celebrity welfare, including chaperones in training rehearsal rooms at ‘all times.’

Two new welfare workers, a Celebrity Welfare Producer and a Professional Dancer Welfare Producer, have also been added tot he show, while the production team and crew will be given ‘further training.’

It was later claimed the BBC cut the budget for casting, after grumbles the line-up was ‘lackluster’, to divert money to the increased welfare measures.

A source reportedly told the Daily Mail about the budget cuts: ‘Money had to be found to pay for chaperones and welfare producers, and we still don’t know how much all these allegations are going to cost the show. It is not going to be cheap. A decision was made to make cuts to the cast.’

They continued: ‘The line-up is one of our cheapest ever. We know audiences are disappointed, especially given the quality of our celebrities in the last five years.’

In contrast, a BBC spokesperson previously told : ‘We are really excited about this year’s line up and look forward to the series starting.

‘There are many factors that influence the casting process to ensure we have a good mix of celebrities from a broad range of backgrounds.

‘There is no hard and fast rule regarding the gender split on the show and it’s never been about ticking boxes.’

Strictly is returning for its 20th-anniversary series later this month and will welcome its first blind contestant in comedian Chris McCausland, who will compete alongside JLS star JB Gill, Go Compare opera singer Wynne Evans, singer Toyah Willcox, Love Island’s Tasha Ghouri and reality TV star Pete Wicks.

Also among the line-up are Gladiator and Olympian Montell Douglas, EastEnders’ Jamie Borthwick, Olympian Tom Dean, singer Shayne Ward, Miranda actress Sarah Hadland, DIY SOS star Nick Knowles, Morning Live resident doctor and NHS GP Dr Punam Krishan, former England footballer Paul Merson and Olympic hockey gold medallist Sam Quek.

Manrara started her TV career on the fifth season of US TV show So You Think You Can Dance, before becoming a Strictly professional dancer for series 11 in 2013, and continuing until series 18 in 2020.

In 2021, she was announced as the new host of It Takes Two alongside Rylan Clark and later Fleur East.

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