Former Strictly Come Dancing star Pasha Kovalev said BBC bosses need to regulate its rules in order to save the series, amid controversy over the alleged treatment of contestants. The Russian dancer, who joined the the BBC flagship show in 2011 before leaving in 2018, said he was “very upset” to hear allegations made about the show. “I never experienced anything of the sort during my time on Strictly or witnessed anyone else going through it, because I’d have definitely intervened,” the 44-year-old told the Mirror newspaper.
“I guess in every office in the country you’d have one or two bad apples, and when it comes to it, it needs to be dealt with.” The results of an investigation, launched by the BBC following allegations made about Italian professional dancer Giovanni Pernice by former participant Amanda Abbington, have not yet been published by the corporation. Pernice denies the allegations, while fellow Italian dancer Graziano Di Prima has also left the show.
Kovalev, who lifted the glitterball trophy in 2014 with late TV presenter Caroline Flack and placed second alongside Pussycat Dolls star Ashley Roberts in 2018, said there are “no excuses” for bad behaviour regardless of “the pressure you are under or the atmosphere you are in”. However, he said he is optimistic the show will continue after this years 20th anniversary. “There is no reason to have a break, in spite of all this controversy and discussions lately,” he said.
“It needs to .