Strictly Come Dancing bosses ‘struggled’ to sign talent for this year’s series after several scandals

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Following several controversies that led to the BBC firing dancer Graziano di Prima and singer Wynne Evans, insiders report that producers of ‘Strictly Come Dancing‘ were finding it difficult to recruit new stars.

The actors and actresses who will be in the new series expressed their surprise at how quickly they were cast, especially since it was the first time many of them had been offered such a role.

Vicky Pattison, known from the reality TV series Geordie Shore, revealed she’d always wished someone would ask her – and now, finally, someone had.

I went to meet with them hoping to secure a future opportunity, possibly within the next year or two. I anticipated the process would take some time to develop.

Dani Dyer, age 29 and daughter of actor Danny Dyer, was surprised at how easily she was accepted onto the show, as she told MailOnline.

BBC executives were actively seeking new faces for the show, as only three of the fifteen contestants had previously been approached about participating.

A source with the show told the Mail that the BBC had to look for more contestants because they were having trouble getting people to agree to participate, due to various reasons.

A representative for Strictly Come Dancing stated that the casting process remained exactly the same this year, with no changes to the timeline or the number of talented performers who applied.

As someone who keeps a close eye on the entertainment world, I’ve heard from many actors over the years about their feelings towards ‘Strictly Come Dancing.’ Alex Kingston actually shared with me a while back that there used to be a real perception – a stigma, if you will – that taking part wasn’t seen as a ‘serious’ career move for performers. It was definitely viewed differently back then!

The 62-year-old explained that he’d been approached about participating in the show before, but his agent consistently declined. He believes this was because, for a long time, there was a negative perception surrounding ‘Strictly Come Dancing’.

It’s strange that theatre actors aren’t included, especially considering Shakespeare himself wrote plays for everyone, not just an elite audience.

Recent seasons of the show have been marked by controversy, starting with claims made by actress Amanda Abbington. She alleged that her dance partner, Giovanni Pernice, acted in a way that was ‘unnecessary, abusive, cruel, and mean’ while they were practicing.

The former professional, 35, strongly denies her claims.

Also in that year, Graziano di Prima lost his job with the BBC when a video surfaced showing him kicking his dance partner, Zara McDermott (known from Love Island), during a practice session.

Wynne Evans, a Welsh opera singer, was removed from his BBC Wales breakfast show because of language he used while appearing on Strictly Come Dancing that was considered unsuitable.

Following a glamorous first photoshoot on Saturday, the celebrities competing on this season of Strictly Come Dancing showed off their sparkling outfits before hitting the dance floor.

Just days before the show premieres, the fifteen celebrities showcased vibrant outfits and posed for photos to build excitement among fans for its return.

I was absolutely captivated by the 2025 line-up photo! The women looked stunning in their vibrant dresses, and the men were incredibly handsome, sporting a fantastic range of white, blue, and pink suits. They all looked so sharp and put-together!

Thomas Skinner brushed off his recent meltdown as he posed with the celebs for the group shot.

Former Apprentice contestant, Ryan-Mark Parsons, 34, surprised reporters on Tuesday by suddenly ending a press event and grabbing a reporter’s phone.

Thomas directly responded to the controversy on Wednesday with an Instagram post. In it, he apologized to the journalist involved and said he’s focused on overcoming personal challenges from his past.

According to the Daily Mail, the BBC is continuing to support Thomas, and he will still appear on the show when it begins on September 20th.

Strictly Come Dancing is facing disruption after the show’s confidential partner assignments were revealed online.

BBC officials worked hard to keep the celebrity pairings secret until next weekend’s show launch, where 15 stars will compete for the coveted glitterball trophy.

The secret didn’t stay hidden for long – the list of celebrity and professional pairings for 2025 was leaked online, and fans are already excitedly discussing who will be competing.

The Daily Mail decided not to publish the leaked contestant pairings so they wouldn’t ruin the surprise for the audience.

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2025-09-14 22:27