Strictly's Claudia Winkleman admits she's 'terrified' as she's supported by Tess Daly

As anticipation grows for the new season of Strictly Come Dancing, host Claudia Winkleman has shared that she feels "terrified". Claudia is gearing up to return to her post beside the dance floor with Tess Daly for another cycle of the beloved BBC show but has revealed she's quite nervous about the upcoming Saturday opener.

The forthcoming series sees an exciting gathering of celebrities, including EastEnders star Jamie Borthwick, hockey player and TV presenter Sam Quek, ex-football star Paul Merson and Love Island's Tasha Ghouri, all set to strut their stuff. History will also be made as comedian Chris McCausland becomes the show's first-ever blind contestant.

Talking about her reaction to the famed theme music, Claudia expressed her own tension comparable to that felt by the stars of the show. She said: "I'm absolutely terrified and I squeeze Tess on the arm and I love her because she lets me."

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This instalment promises a spectacle with celebrity dancers and their professional partners like Gorka Marquez and Diane Buswell diving into a series of themed weeks; movies, Halloween, and musicals are on the cards, reports the Mirror.

Yet, despite excitement for Strictly's return, a troubling issue looms over the production, with recent bullying allegations casting a shadow. Producers had to address grievances after previous contestants Amanda Abbington and Zara McDermott reported misconduct by their dance partners.

Giovanni Pernice, however, rejects all allegations, and after leaving the series, he joined the cast of an Italian dance competition.

Meanwhile, Graziano Di Prima expressed sorrow for his actions toward Zara, which were caught on video showing inappropriate conduct with his dance partner.

After it was revealed in the summer that he'd been removed from Strictly's line-up, Graziano took to Instagram to comment: "While respecting the BBC HR process, I acknowledge it's only right for the sake of the show that I step away."

The BBC issued a statement regarding the situation with Graziano, stating: "We can confirm that Graziano Di Prima is no longer a part of the line-up of professional dancers for the upcoming series of Strictly Come Dancing. While we would never comment on individual cases, it is well-known that the BBC has established and robust duty of care procedures, and if issues are raised we will always take them seriously and act swiftly as appropriate."