The BBC continues to face backlash as more and more celebrities are now speaking out about their experience on Strictly Come Dancing.

Amanda Abbington first sparked the misconduct scandal last year after she claimed Giovanni Pernice left her with PTSD over his ‘bullying’ and ‘harsh’ training.

Off the back of Amanda’s bullying row, it sparked Zara McDermott to speak out about her experience with former partner Graziano Di Prima in the rehearsal room.

Graziano, who was sacked from the BBC show, publicly apologised for kicking Zara on Thursday and branded his abusive behaviour a ‘mistake’.

Old clips of former pro partners and their celeb are also resurfacing, with Brendan Cole captured slapping Fiona Phillips’ bottom during rehearsals in 2005.

The BBC could ‘face £1million legal bill’ over the misconduct scandal, with insiders fearing growing allegations could kill off the show entirely.

Here, MailOnline takes a look at all the stars who claim to have struggled on Strictly with physical and mental harm.

Zara McDermott

The former Love Island star, 27, was hit and kicked by her former dance partner Graziano Di Prima in rehearsals for the show in 2023.

Earlier this week the pro dancer, 30, who has now moved back to his native country in Italy following his sacking, admitted to kicking Zara in a public statement.

Mark Borkowski, a spokesperson for Graziano, told BBC News: ‘There is never a time when kicking, or any sense of that is right. And he knows that. He knows he’s made a mistake. He apologised at the time.’

Referring to the media reports, Mark added: ‘But he doesn’t recognise some of the issues surrounding it. The descriptions of what is being commented online, and how he remembers it, are not aligned.’ 

He continued: ‘He [Graziano] has literally cut himself off from civilisation. I think that’s a wise thing to do, supported by his wife. He’s coming to terms with his mental health issues.’

Graziano, who believed the matter had been resolved at the time, was sacked from the show after a video of the idea was brought to the attention of the BBC last week.

Addressing his departure on Instagram, Graziano wrote: ‘I deeply regret the events that led to my departure from Strictly. My intense passion and determination to win might have affected my training regime.

‘Respecting the BBC HR process, I understand it’s best for the show that I step away.’

He continued: ‘While there are aspects of this story involving external influences that I can’t discuss at this time, I remain committed to being strong for my family and friends.

‘I wish the Strictly family and the BBC nothing but success in the future.’

He concluded the post: ‘I also want to thank everyone who has supported my career, both professionally and personally. When the time is right, I will share my story.’

Zara has since been seen with only three toenails left, her feet ‘bleeding’ and ‘passed out’ on the floor as images of her in training have come to light once more.

Zara broke her silence on Tuesday, admitting she was scared to come forward and report Graziano over fears for her ‘future’.

Also writing on Instagram, she said: ‘I felt it was right that I post something regarding the recent media reports. Strictly is one of the most magical shows on TV and one that I dreamt of being on since I was a little girl.

‘When I was invited to be a contestant on the show it really was a childhood dream come true. I fully understood the level of commitment and hard work that Strictly was going to be and I dedicated everything to it. I am a resilient person and I was fully prepared to put in whatever it took.

‘And so much of my Strictly experience was everything I could have dreamt of. The entire production team and everyone behind the scenes as well as my fellow contestants were so amazing to work with

‘However, my experience inside the training room was very different. Reports have been made about my treatment on the show and there were witnesses to some events, as well as videos of particular incidents which are incredibly distressing to watch.’

Zara explained that she didn’t report the incidents at the time as she was ‘scared’ of backlash.

Zara continued in her statement: ‘I have wrestled with the fear of opening up – I was scared about public backlash, I was scared about my future, I was scared of victim shaming.

‘But after a lot of conversations with those I love, I’ve gained the strength to face these fears, and when I was asked to speak to the BBC, I spoke candidly about my time on the show.

‘I have wrestled with the fear of opening up – I was scared about public backlash, I was scared about my future, I was scared of victim shaming. But after a lot of conversations with those I love, I’ve gained the strength to face these fears, and when I was asked to speak to the BBC, I spoke candidly about my time on the show.

‘The culture within our society makes it difficult for people to speak up especially in a a world where social media opinions and voices are so loud. This is something I’ve seen through working with countless women on my documentaries.

‘I would like to thank the BBC and BBC Studios for their swift action and incredibly high level of support, as wel as everyone who has reached out to me – it really truly means a lot. Love, always. Zara.’

Amanda Abbington

The BBC misconduct probe was first sparked after Amanda claimed she was left with PTSD following Giovanni Pernice’s ‘intense’ and ‘full-on’ training style.

Amanda, who abruptly withdrew just five weeks into the competition, will finally break her silence as she returns to TV for the first time since quitting Strictly during an appearance on Lorraine next week.

The actress, 50, is a guest on the show next Thursday and will be interviewed by stand-in host Christine Lampard as Lorraine is on holiday for the summer break.

Amanda abruptly left Strictly in October citing ‘personal issues’ and hasn’t been seen on screen since, even quitting social media last month in the wake of Giovanni’s sacking.

The Italian professional, 33, will not be returning to the BBC series amid an ongoing investigation into his alleged ‘abusive’ behaviour behind the scene, which he denies.

The actress also admitted she would become nauseous after completing rehearsals with Pernice, a fan favourite who had appeared on Strictly for eight years prior to his suspension.

Abbington’s husband Jonathan Goodwin, a former escapologist who was left paralysed in 2021 after a TV stunt went horribly wrong, also corroborated her claim of physical sickness.

She added: ‘He’d go, “Yes, you would come home and you’d vomit, you’d cry, and you’d think you were not good enough. You were a shadow, a shell.”‘

The actress is said to have met with Laura Whitmore, 39, and Ranvir Singh, 46, earlier this year for an ’emotional summit’ to ‘compare notes’ about their time working with Giovanni amid the BBC’s probe. 

Laura Whitmore

Off the back of Amanda’s claims about Giovanni, Laura shared that she felt ‘extremely uncomfortable’ with the Italian and ‘cried every day’ during their time together on the show.

Former Love Island presenter Laura, 42, was partnered with Giovanni in the fourteenth series of Strictly and was the sixth celebrity eliminated. 

The dancer released a statement on Instagram after he reportedly quit Strictly – and it was notably met with silence from his co-stars.

He is said to have not signed up to the new series after the scrutiny became ‘too much’ when three of his ex dance partners slammed his ‘militant’ approach. 

Giovanni wrote in his social media statement: ‘You will be as surprised as I am that allegations have been made about my dance teaching methods in the media this week.

‘Of course, I reject any suggestion of abusive or threatening behaviour, and I look forward to clearing my name.

‘Those who have followed my journey on Strictly Come Dancing over the last decade will know that I am passionate and competitive. No-one is more ambitious for my dance partners than me.

‘I have always striven to help them be the very best dancers they can be. This has always come from a place of love and wanting to win – for me and my dance partners.

‘Thank you all once again for your continued love and support!’

Ranvir Singh

One star who had previously spoken out about Giovanni’s teaching style was Ranvir Singh, who admitted to feeling ‘scared’ of the Italian when they were partnered in the 2020 series.

Ranvir hinted at trouble between herself and Giovanni shortly after rehearsals began for the 2020 series.

She said on GMB ahead of her series launch: ‘Don’t be fooled by his angelic face!

‘He is a fiery Italian, super strict – I am a bit scared of him.’

She managed to make it to fifth place with the dancer, but also talked about having a meltdown in training and ghosted him on social media after the 2020 series.

Fans also noticed Ranvir unfollow her former dance partner a year after the series, before refollowing him.

Some have also raised suspicions at her lack of support for him in subsequent Strictly Come Dancing series.

Anneka Rice

In 2021, the presenter, 62, claimed she was left ‘depressed’ and had to have three months worth of physio after suffering with ‘whiplash’ following her stint on Strictly Come Dancing.

Anneka starred in the 2019 series of the BBC show and was paired with Kevin Clifton. They were eliminated in week three.

And despite seemingly enjoying her experience, Anneka claimed she was left in excruciating pain amid her experience, admitting: ‘I didn’t expect was how broken I’d be.’ 

Despite carving out a career as an ‘action girl’ on TV shows such as Treasure Hunt on Channel 4 and the BBC series Challenge Anneka, the star told how she wasn’t prepared for the physical pain the dance show would put her in.

Speaking about her injuries on the My Mate Bought A Toaster podcast, she explained: ‘I was so broken I’d limp back home… into an ice-cold bath. I think on the whole the experience is, in theory, so joyful you forget things like that.

‘It’s like childbirth, you just forget… but I was in physio for three months afterwards because I had such bad whiplash in my neck because of the last dance I did.’

The star told how she was able to dance through the pain due to the ‘adrenaline rush’ she had. 

Explaining how things had affected her after the show, she said: ‘I’d never really been badly injured in my life, considering all the lunatic stunts and things I’ve done.

‘But it brings you very low because I obviously wondered whether I’d ever recover.’

She added: ‘I got quite depressed afterwards. The bit I didn’t expect was how broken I’d be, for someone who’s very fit.’

Fern Britton

Meanwhile, Fern revealed she was ‘kicked and shoved’ during her time on Strictly.

In a resurfaced interview from 2015, the presenter, 67, made these claims about her pro dance partner Artem Chigvintsev.

Speaking at an event hosted by The Times newspaper, Fern, who was the fifth contestant to be eliminated from the BBC show’s 2012 season, said: ‘He [Artem] would look at my feet and just kick me or shove me’. 

She recalled him allegedly saying: ‘You just stand there and don’t move; I dance round you.’

Fern added: ‘He was like “Shut your face. Go home before I kill you”.

‘I would say, “Oh please just kill me, it would be easier”. Or what was his other one? “If you go for a cup of tea now, I will blow off like an atomic bomb.” I thought, well I won’t correct him on that one.’

Fern continued to say that while they ‘did love each other for a moment or two’, her partner ‘wasn’t charm personified’.

She said: ‘I did kind of enjoy it, but it was grim at the same time.’

Artem hit back at Fern’s claims, telling the Daily Express: ‘I believe I treated Fern with respect and genuine care and these claims about me are the opposite of everything I believe in and the person I am. 

‘I cannot imagine what has prompted such statements which come as a shock to me.’

In 2014 Artem then left Strictly to work on Dancing with the Stars in the United States, on which he still appears as one of the professional dancers.

Laila Rouass

Anton Du Beke, who is standing by Giovanni amid the scandal, reduced contestant Laila to tears during the 2009 series when he jokingly told her she ‘looked like a P***’ after her spray tan.

He later apologised and admitted he felt ‘stupid’ and ’embarrassed’ by his comments to the actress, who is of Indian and Moroccan descent, with the duo making amends a few weeks later.

Anton sparked outrage when it emerged he had called Laila a ‘p***’ when she attended rehearsals wearing fake tan.

A source told The Sun: ‘Anton has a very 1970s attitude and can be abrasive.

‘The lines are becoming increasingly blurred as to what is acceptable or not, and of course, some people have found him fine to work with.

‘But there were murmurings of discontent when he was a dancer. Yet the BBC promoted him. It is all quite strange.’

In the furore over the remark back in 2009, it was also revealed that Anton had also asked Laila if she was a terrorist in a joke about her north African heritage.

Speaking on Strictly spin-off show It Takes Two after the incident came to light, Laila said: ‘We are getting through this together. It’s been a tough week for both of us… But we just want to move on.

‘This happened weeks ago and we’ve been getting on very well.’

Anton added: ‘I would just like to reiterate my apology from last weekend to Laila, to everybody on the show and to everybody that watches the show because I feel embarrassed, I feel stupid as well.’

He continued: ‘It was a stupid thing to do and a stupid thing to say and now people are talking about that when they should be talking about the show and what a great show it is.

‘As I say I am mortified about it, completely, and Laila has been quite remarkably wonderful.’

Georgina Bouzova

Unearthed footage emerged of former pro dancer James Jordan telling his partner Georgina he would ‘drag her across the floor and scream at her’ if she forgot her moves.

The ballroom dancer and choreographer, 46, slammed the BBC earlier this week after the clip began doing the rounds again following the recent scandals – saying most of the footage ‘was not related to Georgina at all’.

The clip, which was filmed during the fourth series back in 2006, shows him rehearsing with actress Georgina.

He also says to her ‘kill you’ as he demands she stands on one leg and insists that unless she has physically broken a rib he doesn’t care what pain she is in. He is also seen throwing a chair across the training studio.

But he has now responded to the clip on his Instagram as he shared a raging statement saying that the footage was ‘edited for entertainment’ and was ‘highly produced and exaggerated’.

He said there ‘is no comparison to be drawn between those awful allegations and the VT’ – while insisting none of his celebrity partners ever complained about him during his eight years on the show. 

Fiona Phillips 

A video has resurfaced of former professional Brendan Cole slapping his partner Fiona’s bottom three times during rehearsals in 2005. 

Brendan was famously axed from the show back in 2018 after 15 years on air, following claims he was ‘difficult to work with.’

It shows Brendan calling television presenter Fiona ‘pathetic’ and slapping her bottom on three occasions. 

Fiona asks Brendan to stop shouting at her before saying he ‘looked at me like I was something he’d stepped in.’

Commenting on his axing in 2020 Fiona claimed that her former partner ‘wasn’t very nice’ and that it was ‘karma’ that his contract wasn’t renewed. 

The former GMTV and Lorraine presenter told the Daily Star: ‘Brendan was a real b****r, actually. He wasn’t very nice. He was really naughty.

‘He’s not on the show now. Karma indeed. It works its way every time.’ 

Fiona added in an interview with The Mirror in 2021: ‘Brendan is a rough old taskmaster and really wanted to be number one or nothing.’ 

A source told The Sun on Friday ‘more stars are coming forward,’ they explained: ‘The figures for personal injury are notoriously low, but at least three celebrities have a case for lost earnings – the idea that being associated to this case has made them seem “tricksy” to employ.

‘Some previous contestants have been left needing therapy after appearing on the show, and at least two — Rachel Riley and Amanda Abbington — were diagnosed with PTSD.

‘If successful — and at the moment there certainly appears to be serious evidence for duty of care breaches — the BBC could well be forced to pay out well over £1million. For a tax-payer-funded show, it’s a very worrying prospect.’