Strictly Come Dancing 2024 stars break silence on bullying crisis as they hit out at line-up critics

Strictly Come Dancing is set to return to our screens shortly amidst criticism over the perceived lack of female celebrities in this year's line-up. But three of the show's stars have come forward to address the issue.

The reveal of the full cast for the upcoming series on BBC One has sparked a wave of disappointment among fans, with some expressing their dissatisfaction online. The controversy was further fuelled by reports from TV insiders earlier this summer suggesting that production faced difficulties securing female stars willing to take part in the wake of allegations of bullying involving former Strictly dancers Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima.

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Nevertheless, as the trio prepares for their first performance scheduled for Saturday, September 14, 2024, Dr Punam Krishan, Toyah Wilcox, and Sam Quek have spoken out against the criticism.

In an interview with The Sun, Olympic gold medallist Sam Quek dismissed concerns about the number of women in the competition, stating: "Not many women? There's six of us!" She shared her enthusiasm about joining the show despite recent accusations levelled at Giovanni and Graziano by Amanda Abbington and Zara McDermott. "I didn't even think twice about doing it, to have a TV show last this long, that doesn't just happen it has to be a good product," she explained.

"People still love Strictly. It's like a relationship, you can't just cancel a relationship because you have a bad experience along the way. I mean why would you not say yes? " echoed Dr Punam Krishan, who also confirmed that nothing about the Strictly controversy had given her second thoughts about participating, reports the Mirror.

Toyah Wilcox candidly shared how the recent Strictly Come Dancing scandals motivated her to push boundaries in her dancing for this year's series. She confessed, "It made me take what's coming very seriously because what's happened in the last year is because this show is 100 per cent committed to dance."

"You've got to go beyond your own personal comfort zone and that's always been very obvious. So I know for me, with what's been going on this year, I've been thinking, well can I push myself beyond my own limitations? And for me, it's now or never. That made me commit to the show" she continued.

In response to chatter about the new contestants, a Strictly spokesperson had previously stated in August 2024: "We are really excited about this year's lineup and look forward to the series starting."

Defending the casting decisions, they further clarified, "There are many factors that influence the casting process to ensure we have a good mix of celebrities from a broad range of backgrounds. There is no hard and fast rule regarding the gender split on the show and it's never been about ticking boxes."

Amidst all this, there's buzz that BBC chiefs are keen to conclude the investigation surrounding allegations of bullying involving Giovanni Pernice and Amanda Abbington swiftly, before the next season begins. Meanwhile, TOWIE's Pete Wicks is rumoured to be ready to bring the fun to the dance floor as he prepares for his forthcoming Strictly appearance, with insiders hinting that "the reins are off".