Strictly Come Dancing’s ratings took a tumble as the BBC was hit with allegations of backstage bullying, leading to an investigation.
The claims surfaced after Amanda Abbington accused her dance partner Giovanni Pernice of bullying, which coincided with the dismissal of Graziano Di Prima over his conduct towards Zara McDermott.
The fallout has seen viewer numbers for the Saturday [September 28] show dip to 7.1 million from last year’s 7.8 million, continuing a downward trend from the previous week’s launch episode.
A television source disclosed to The Sun: “Strictly is still the most watched programme on a Saturday night – getting double the viewers of its nearest ratings rival. And, although the number watching on catch-up is increasing, the always prided itself on the fact that the dance show offered a shared experience.”
They continued: “But it seems fewer and fewer people are now choosing to share it on a Saturday night.”
GoCompare star Wynne Evans attempts to wow judges with his performance with Katya Jones (Image: BBC/Guy Levy)
It’s been noted that the September 28 episode’s figures have plummeted by over 3.5 million since 2020, when the show boasted 11.8 million viewers, reports .
Last week’s episode of saw a peak of 6.7 million viewers, a drop from the previous year’s 7.3 million. This was before the allegations had reached their current fever pitch.
The launch show reportedly drew in 5.7 million viewers, a million less than the same episode in 2023, according to The Sun. Some have suggested that the scandal involving Giovanni and Graziano may have contributed to the loss of viewership.
Strictly Come Dancing’s viewers are trailing off (Image: BBC)
However, the has yet to release figures showing how many people opted for iPlayer over the live broadcast.
In related news, Giovanni, who has since moved to the Italian version of the show, Ballando con le Stelle, impressed both judges and fans with his performance, earning an impressive 37 out of 40 points. This comes amidst an ongoing four-month investigation following claims by Amanda Abbington that Giovanni bullied her during their training sessions.
The Italian dancer vehemently denies all allegations against him.
Amanda criticised his teaching methods and labelled his behaviour as “unnecessary, abusive, cruel and mean’. He has vehemently denied all the allegations. The results of the investigation into Giovanni’s training techniques are set to be revealed next week. In a Channel 4 News interview, Amanda likened the show to “the trenches”, claiming that the broadcaster’s producers were “horrified” by footage supporting her accusations of “humiliating behaviour of a sexual nature.”
An insider reportedly told The Sun that the plans to inform all involved parties about the investigation early next week, but only a handful of details will be made public.
is on One on Saturdays and Sundays and on iPlayer