Strictly viewers turn off ‘sickly sweet’ show in their droves after it failed to address bullying scandals
As a longtime admirer and follower of Strictly Come Dancing, I must say this season has been quite a rollercoaster ride. With the return of fan favorites like Amy Dowden and Aljaz Škorjanec, it feels like we’re back to our regular dose of glitz, glamour, and fantastic footwork. However, the past year’s allegations and scandals have cast a shadow over the show that I hope will dissipate soon.
Viewers of Strictly Come Dancing admitted to tuning out due to finding the program excessively saccharine, following the revelations of its scandal involving abuse.
Over the weekend, our dance competition suffered a significant setback when the initial live broadcast saw viewership reach an all-time low.
Although the airing of the series celebrated the 20-year milestone of the cherished BBC program, it drew in just 6.7 million viewers during its broadcast. This is a decrease from 7.3 million viewers last year and a significant drop from 10.2 million viewers in 2020.
The performance has been caught up in debates due to allegations about the manner in which the professional dancers instruct the famous participants, with several claims surfacing regarding mistreatment and aggressive actions.
During the broadcast, although the BBC had implemented new anti-bullying precautions such as a help line and supervisors at rehearsals for the celebrities, these measures were not highlighted or enforced.
Speaking with X (previously known as Twitter), following the initial broadcast and the live event over the weekend, viewers voiced their dissatisfaction and shared reasons behind their inability to engage with the show during this current season.
They shared: ‘So much love in the room, almost OTT sickly sweet, hope they all get on this year and there’s no drama. #Strictly’; ‘Can we just have dancing please? Not interested in life stories.’; ‘Agreed. This is not the X Factor and we don’t need the sob stories of washed up celebs. #StrictlyComeDancing #Strictly’
‘Every time someone sheds an emotional tear, or tells a sob story, they get docked 5 points. Deal? Deal. #Strictly’; ‘God,everybody is just too nice on strictly,come next year,we start hearing the horror stories and scandals,#Strictly’; Feels like a massive amount of over trying this year, maybe due to the scandals #Strictly #BBCStrictly [sic]’
As a lifestyle connoisseur, I was thrilled to witness the grand debut of the first live performance by 15 celebrities and their dancing partners on the dance floor, following the unveiling of their partnerships during the previous weekend’s launch event.
According to a source, the managers had concerns after a significant drop in viewership was observed during the re-run of the program compared to the previous year.
It might worry them that the initial live performance also experienced a decrease. This could be more concerning if this trend persists throughout the upcoming week, which happens to be the first elimination show.
They are currently in a state of anticipation as they determine if the decline in live viewers will be offset by a surge in Strictly viewers on iPlayer, however, it may take several days or even weeks to gather this data.
“Strictly matters significantly to the BBC since it remains one of the rare programs that offer a collective television experience, encouraging viewers to tune in at specific times and share the excitement together.
In a world where on-demand viewing is prevalent, overnight ratings no longer accurately represent the total number of viewers. (BBC Spokesperson to TopMob)
In January, the Strictly controversy arose when actress Amanda Abbington alleged abusive behavior against her dance partner Giovanni Pernice, following her sudden departure from the competition only five weeks into it.
50-year-old Amanda Abbington, who played Sherlock on screen, has levied a series of allegations against Giovanni, accusing him of using inappropriate, abusive, harsh, and unkind teaching methods. However, Giovanni firmly rejects these accusations.
Later in July, it was disclosed that Graziano Di Prima was dismissed from Strictly due to an incident involving him allegedly kicking his dance partner, Love Island alum Zara McDermott.
On Saturday evening, Judge Shirley Ballas expressed her apologies following a surprising moment when she shared a kiss with fellow judge Motsi Mabuse during their initial live performance.
As a passionate admirer, I found myself offering suggestions to the graceful Tom Dean, the Olympic swimmer, and his dancing companion, Nadiya Bychkova, on their captivating tango routine. In the heat of the moment, I couldn’t resist showcasing my own skills with an unplanned demonstration.
Shirley conveyed that the style relied heavily on the positioning, so she requested Motsi to demonstrate this for her.
Anton Du Beke cheered them on, exclaiming “Keep going, ladies!” – right at the moment when Shirley subtly tilted her head, leading to an unexpected kiss shared with Motsi.
On Instagram early Sunday morning following the Strictly Come Dancing show, Shirley playfully commented: “Apologies, @motsimabuse, you blinked at the wrong moment! What were your thoughts on last night’s performance?” (or simply “What did you think of last night’s show, @motsimabuse?”)
The show made a strong comeback for its 20th series, overcoming the previous bullying controversy, with beloved dancers Amy Dowden and Aljaz Škorjanec rejoining the cast.
After several former participants claimed instances of abuse from the professional dancers, the BBC’s dance competition has faced a challenging season.
Audience members couldn’t contain their excitement when Amy danced back onto the floor, performing an enchanting Waltz alongside former JLS member, JB.
At the same time, Aljaz and his partner Tasha Ghouri delivered a stunningly impressive Cha Cha that left the judges amazed.
It was unexpected to see Zara, who was involved in a recent controversy, attend the performance. She was there to back her friend Pete Wicks.
Amy, aged 34, returned triumphantly and expressed her immense joy to host Claudia, saying she was overjoyed beyond words, following her spectacular performance that earned her 31 points during the dance competition.
In a touching display, the audience’s preferred performer danced a heartfelt Waltz to “When I Need You” by Leo Sayer, stirring emotions in both the judges and spectators alike.
In contrast to the 6.2 million viewers who watched in 2023, last week’s show saw approximately 5.5 million viewers tuning in to watch famous personalities partnered with professional dancers overnight.
The BBC dodged any mention of the show’s string of scandals during its launch episode.
In a lively fashion, Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly ushered in this season’s celebrities, assigning dance partners to each, yet any disputes from the past year remained undiscussed.
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2024-09-23 14:19