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Strictly Chaperones Face Complaints Over Rehearsal Disruption as BBC Defends Observe-Only Role

The observers were added under new duty-of-care rules after allegations about Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima.

Overview

  • Several current contestants and insiders say the chaperones cause frequent stops and starts that are making training harder and less enjoyable.
  • A BBC spokesman says training-room researchers would not interrupt sessions and are tasked solely with observing and logging activity.
  • The monitoring roles were introduced ahead of the 2024 series after complaints involving professional dancers, and the two implicated pros did not return.
  • Reports say researchers keep detailed eight-hour logs, rotate between training rooms, record positive interactions, and escalate potential misconduct to senior staff.
  • Some sources claim the presence of observers has changed rehearsal dynamics by reducing intimacy and increasing a sense of walking on eggshells.