Strictly Come Dancing: Timeline of abuse allegations

It's all smiles on stage - but behind the camera, is there another story?

Transcript

00:00It's all smiles on stage, but behind the camera, is there another story?

00:06Alarm bells were raised when, in October last year, celebrity contestant Amanda Abbington

00:10withdrew from the show after six weeks, citing personal reasons for being unable to continue.

00:15It was inappropriate, it was mean, it was nasty, it was bullying, and I put up with

00:21it for five weeks.

00:23By May, Abbington's professional dance partner, Giovanni Paniche, denied any suggestion of

00:28abusive or threatening behaviour that were cropping up in the media.

00:31By June, Paniche was axed from the show's line-up.

00:34You were surprised and shocked?

00:36Yeah, completely and utterly shocked by the whole situation.

00:41In July, another professional, Graziano Di Prima, also left the show under a cloud and

00:46admitted later to kicking celebrity partner Zara McDermott in rehearsals.

00:50As the story became a bigger and bigger one for the Beeb, the director-general was forced

00:54to step in.

00:56Of course, alongside the fun and entertainment, there will be a degree of competitiveness

01:01and the line should never be crossed.

01:04While the celebs that spoke out received an outpouring of support from many, they were

01:07also forced to endure a slew of further abuse.

01:11Police investigated a death threat made to Abbington after she was warned she'd die on

01:15stage unless she retracted her statement about Paniche.

01:18The death threats and the rape threats towards not only myself but my daughter and the threats

01:23of death to my son.

01:26Women's Aid is a charity supporting victims of domestic violence and said the upsetting

01:30accounts from Strictly contestants about Graziano and Giovanni's behaviour show the urgent need

01:35to create a media culture where women feel safe to speak up.

01:38We must also ensure we don't promote a culture that elevates abusive behaviours in the name

01:43of entertainment.

01:44And now the new series of Strictly is on the way, with the show preparing to celebrate

01:4820 years on air.

01:49The BBC has insisted it has robust duty of care procedures, which it has bolstered with

01:54a series of new measures including giving stars chaperones in rehearsals.