Strictly Come Dancing, a BBC staple since 2004, continues to face controversies. The latest involves accusations of ageism following the removal of professional dancer Nadiya Bychkova, 36, from the lineup ahead of the new series.
Latest Ageism Controversy: Nadiya Bychkova’s Exit
Producers are conducting a major overhaul of the professional dancers amid ongoing issues. Bychkova, who joined in 2017, has partnered celebrities such as TV presenter Dan Walker, singer Matt Goss, and actor Davood Ghadami over eight years.
A friend of the dancer expresses shock at the decision, stating it “smacks of ageism.” The friend adds, “Nadiya’s one of the most popular dancers so she can’t understand why she won’t be back, she’s devastated. The show is her life.”
Strictly’s History of Ageism Accusations
The show has faced similar claims before. In 2009, Dame Arlene Phillips, then 66, was removed as a judge and replaced by 30-year-old Alesha Dixon. This sparked outrage, prompting then Minister for Women and Equality Harriet Harman to intervene in Parliament. Harman declared, “As Equalities Minister, I am suspicious that there is age discrimination there. So I’d like to take the opportunity of asking the BBC: it is not too late, we want Arlene Phillips in the next edition of Strictly Come Dancing.”
In 2024, Dame Arlene, now 82, criticized perceptions of older women on the show during the Women of the Year Awards. She remarked, “I don’t particularly like the way older women are perceived [on the show]. I don’t like that there is a certain, there are some people who are phenomenal as they age… but the one thing I don’t like about Strictly is many of the older women who take part are really serious about it… but they also take it to heart and that breaks them as women.”
Six weeks later, dancer Karen Hardy, 39 and the oldest female pro at the time, was dropped to introduce younger talents. Reigning champion Camilla Dallerup, 35, also exited, replaced by Katya Virshilas, 25, and Natalie Lowe, 28.
A show spokesperson responded that decisions aim to keep Strictly “fresh and relevant,” denying age influences choices. They noted, “If our decisions were affected by age there’s no way we could have someone like Bruce Forsyth or Len Goodman on the show.”
Head judge Shirley Ballas, 65, faced 2022 accusations of favoring young male contestants. She revealed the trolling nearly drove her to quit, telling reporters, “I felt the abuse snowballed out of control and impacted me in such a negative way. I’m a pretty stoic person, and I tend to hold everything in.”
Wave of Recent Scandals
Recent series have been turbulent. Actress Amanda Abbington accused partner Giovanni Pernice of abusive behavior, which he denies. A BBC probe cleared him of physical aggression but upheld verbal bullying claims, prompting an apology to Abbington.
Graziano di Prima was dismissed after video showed him kicking partner Zara McDermott during rehearsals. McDermott stated, “my experience inside the training room was very different… there were witnesses to some events, as well as videos of particular incidents which are incredibly distressing to watch.”
Contestants Wynne Evans and Jamie Borthwick faced consequences for inappropriate language, leading to their removals from respective BBC roles.
Other issues include two arrests on rape suspicions linked to the show, secret affairs among pairings, and a police probe into alleged cocaine use by stars. Agents now warn clients against participating, citing career risks.
Hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman announced their departure after 11 years. In a joint statement, they said, “after 21 wonderfully joyful years on Strictly, we have decided that the time is right to step aside.” Viewership for the latest launch fell to 5.6 million from over 8 million five years prior.
