Strictly bosses 'in talks to hire chaperones for stars' as they 'toughen up duty of care' following Graziano Di Prima and Giovanni Pernice scandals

Strictly Come Dancing bosses are reportedly considering hiring chaperones for stars following pro dancers Graziano Di Prima and Giovanni Pernice both being accused of misconduct.

Di Prima, 30, was axed from the show last week over reports he verbally and physically abused his celebrity partner Zara McDermott, 27, during last year's series.

Meanwhile Pernice, 33, was suspended while a BBC probe is conducted over claims of off-camera misconduct made by Amanda Abbington, 50, and two other former celeb partners. 

The BBC are said to be 'toughening up' their duty of care with executive Sam Bickley in charge of ensuring the welfare of participants.

A source to The Times: '[Sam] will be discussing the protocols and where they need to be tightened up'.

'It's 90 per cent a happy ship but the push to win and compete might have meant some overstepping of the mark.

Going on to say: 'We have acted swiftly and decisively to nip that in the bud and it doesn't take away from almost everyone else having a really lovely, enriching experience from being part of the show.'

MailOnline have contacted BBC for comment. 

It comes following MailOnline exclusive reports that the BBC has vowed to fight back after it was revealed that Graziano is taking legal action against the broadcaster.

Di Prima believes he should have been ‘supported and helped’ with his behaviour after bosses warned him about his treatment of former Love Island Zara.

But a BBC insider told the Mail: ‘Why would any workplace, particularly one paid for by the public, offer support to someone who acted in an undoubtedly abhorrent manner?’

Di Prima, who allegedly ‘kicked and hit’ Ms McDermott, argues that he was not given any advice on how to deal with the pressure of competing in the show.

A friend of the professional dancer said yesterday: ‘There are questions over their [the BBC’s] procedures, and how they operate behind the scenes. He [Di Prima] believes that there is a lot of pressure on professionals to get nines or tens to entertain the audience.’

This paper revealed today that Strictly production staff raised concerns about Di Prima’s conduct last year, but bosses only went as far as to issue quiet warnings to him.

The group expected him to be sacked instantly. They are said to be furious that their complaints were ignored, meaning the abuse towards Ms McDermott was allowed to continue. Di Prima was even signed on for the upcoming 2024 series of Strictly.

A source from the show said: ‘There were multiple occasions where both physical and verbal attacks were made. It was more physical than verbal, but all of it was dreadful.’

It was not until staff got hold of a video allegedly showing Di Prima repeatedly hitting Ms McDermott – nine months after their initial complaint – that he was fired.

They presented it to BBC HR executives investigating dancer Giovanni Pernice, following claims from his 2023 partner, actress Amanda, that he bullied her in training. 

Pernice denies the claims and quit the show last month.

Addressing his exit from the show, a ‘devastated’ Di Prima wrote on Instagram over the weekend: ‘I deeply regret the events that led to my departure from Strictly. My intense passion and determination to win might have affected my training regime.’ Yesterday the Mail revealed he has hired a lawyer and publicist in a bid to come out of the scandal as unscathed as possible.

Ms McDermott, who now presents documentaries for the BBC, is said to have been ‘too frightened’ to put a complaint in at the time, but is co-operating with investigators at present.

Zara 'passed out' during Strictly rehearsals with her partner Graziano Di Prima and was left sleeping on the floor from tiredness.

In a resurfaced video posted on the professional dancer's Instagram Story, Zara can be seen napping on the floor of the dance studio as she attempted to get some rest after an exhausting training session. 

Taken on October 25 just days before the pair were eliminated from the show in week six, Graziano waited for her to wake up as he captioned the snap: 'She asked me 5 minutes break'. 

Later reposting the clip, after her slumber, she seemed to joke: 'I think I've clocked about 50k steps already today with this routine. Give me a break pls' alongside a laughing emoji. 

After Graziano shared the video of her napping Zara was quick to hit back by claiming she had done 'double the workload' of her professional partner.

Sharing a selfie of herself heading to rehearsals that she captioned: 'Graz just had the audacity to call me and tell me his legs hurt after rehearsals yesterday when he spent 50% of the day sitting down and analysing me doing the routine on my own.

'HOW DO YOU THINK I FEEL MATE @grazianodiprima.'

However, the 'passing out' post isn't the first hint of tension in the rehearsal room, as the pair also hinted at many squabbles and disagreements through a series of humorous TikTok videos. 

Since allegations emerged that Graziano 'kicked and hit' Zara during rehearsals, these videos have been viewed in a different light. 

On September 19, Zara shared a humorous video in which she claimed the professional had compared her to a 'camel'. 

Sharing a video of the pair at lunch, she added audio from an episode of The Kardashians, in which Kourtney and Khloe were rowing. 

Graziano was seen as Kourtney Kardashian was heard saying: 'I think you take things really sensitively and that's fine, I just need to not make those jokes with you.'  

It then cut to Zara as Khloe Kardashian replied: 'No, I think they're just rude.' 

As the camera panned back to Graziano, Kourtney said: 'Well to me it's a joke but to you it's rude so I wont make them.' 

Zara captioned the video: 'When I get upset after he told me I dance like a camel.' 

Three days later, Zara poked fun at Graziano not giving her time to take a break, sharing a video of herself eating a sandwich while the dancer looked exasperated and declared: 'We haven't got time!' 

The following month, Zara joked that the pair had been rowing about food.

She shared a clip of herself hiding from Graziano behind a curtain alongside audio footage from an iconic scene on This Morning in 2010. 

In the audio, Holly Willoughby suggested that if Gino D'Acampo added ham to his pasta dish it would be like a carbonara, prompting him to respond: 'If my grandmother had wheels, she would have been a bike.'

Zara captioned the clip: 'POV you're talking to an Italian about pasta.' 

Graziano was quick to defend himself, posting a video as he explained: 'I just want to reply about Zara's story saying that I was seated. I am seated but I am still working correcting her.'

Zara then chipped in: 'I did double the workload to you yesterday and you have the audacity to say your legs hurt!'

As Graziano responded: 'who has been correcting you?' Zara hit back with 'who's been doing the work?' but conceded when Graziano added: 'who's making you perfect?'

Ultimately, the pair's Strictly journey came to an end that week, with the duo being eliminated after losing the dance off to Adam Thomas and Luba Mushtuk. 

Speaking about her experience, Zara said on the results show: 'I have had the time of my life. Just to be here is incredible. Thank you to the judges and my amazing partner obviously.

'My fellow contestants are just incredible. It has been the most amazing experience. I can't believe it's over but I am going to be here in spirit every week supporting them.'

Meanwhile, Graziana told his dance partner that he was 'so proud' of her and said she is what Strictly 'is all about'.

He said: 'She has been great for me 8am till 9pm. Never stopping, asking just for a half an hour break.

'She is literally what Strictly is all about. A real novice, coming in, putting all the hard job.

'You have such a good soul. You are so humble and I say thank you that I found a friend like you. I have learnt so much from you. And your hard work within six weeks.

'You have never danced before. I am so proud of you. So proud of you honestly.'

He later took to Instagram to share a snap of their Halloween Charleston, penning: 'THIS PICTURE SAYS IT ALL!! You are what Strictly is all about, with humbleness, zero ego, rehearsing 12 hours per day.

You went trough pain, lots of .. AGAIN AGAIN AGAIN!! Never complained, always pushing yourself to learn more! YOU DID IT! Six week in the competition for a person that has never danced before!! ❤️

'It's a massive achievement, you have grown so much, in confidence and also in dancing!!

'THANK YOU FOR TRUSTING ME ! I'm so proud of you!! So proud to call you my friend!! ❤️' 

Zara also shared a gushing post about her time on the show and her partner. 

In the caption, she shared: 'From the day I met you Graz, you told me every day that I am strong, beautiful and confident. I believe that everything happens for a reason, and I know that we were meant to be friends for life. 

'You have taught me so much about myself and our laughter every single day has brought me so much joy. I never got bored of spending over 12 hours a day with you, and your work ethic has inspired me beyond words.

'You made me believe in myself in those moments that I absolutely didn't and the bond we have built is truly an unbreakable one.'

Zara has since deleted the post. However, she still has pictures and videos with Graziano on her feed. 

According to The Sun, BBC bosses were presented with video of Graziano's actions on Thursday, before speaking to Zara ahead of the weekend and finally sacking the Italian on Monday.

A source told the publication: 'Graziano has held up his hands and admits his behaviour was extreme and unacceptable. He knows there is no return and quite rightly. Yet why was no action taken sooner to nip this situation in the bud?

'Graziano feels if he had received proper support and some sort of anger management training, an escalation could have been prevented.

'For the Beeb's part, Graziano was not the only dancer being spoken to and they had absolutely no idea about the alleged kicking — which it is claimed happened twice — and as soon as they were alerted, they took decisive action and fired him.'

They added: 'Graziano is in bits. He is being monitored 24/7 by his wife Giada and mum who has moved in to take care of him.

'This whole Strictly fiasco is getting increasingly toxic, and the BBC finds itself trying to complete an investigation while overseeing duty of care to all.'

While a BBC insider insisted: 'There was no procrastinating. The video evidence was completely and utterly undeniable. 

'It only showed one incident, but it quickly became apparent from talking to Zara that verbal and physical abuse allegedly took place multiple times. She was incredibly brave.'

As more shocking allegations have come to light over Graziano's sacking, there has been a marked difference in public support for him.

Previously, his fans and famous friends had rallied behind him, including fellow Strictly stars Katya Jones, Susannah Constantine and Catherine Tyldesley, who liked and commented on his Instagram post announcing his departure. 

However, Catherine - who was partnered with Johannes Radebe in the show in 2019 - has now removed one of her more supportive comments.

The Corrie star originally wrote: 'What noooo' before adding: 'You are the kindest, incredibly talented, most gentle man... I'm so sorry. Sending you so much love x'.

But now the second gushing comment has been deleted, with only the first remaining on Graziano's post.

The message on Graziano's Instagram reads: 'I deeply regret the events that led to my departure from Strictly. My intense passion and determination to win might have affected my training regime. 

'While respecting the BBC HR process, I acknowledge it's only right for the sake of the show that I step away. I am saddened that I wasn't allowed to offer a quote to the online news stories, and I take on board the sensitivity of the situation. 

'There's more to this story that I am unable to discuss at this time, but I am committed to being strong for my family and friends. I wish the Strictly family nothing but success in the future.'

Meanwhile, both Zara and her boyfriend Sam Thompson have since unfollowed  Graziano, but she still follows his wife, Giada Lini.

Fellow Italian Giada, who also danced as a professional on Strictly, has yet to speak out about her husband's untimely departure. 

It is the latest blow suffered by the BBC show, which is still watched by more than ten million people, as allegations against fellow Strictly star Giovanni Pernice are still being investigated.

Graziano joined Strictly in 2018 and was last year partnered with Love Island star Zara but they were eliminated in week six.

He was previously paired with presenter Vick Hope, Loose Women star Judi Love and in 2022 he reached the quarter-final with actor Kym Marsh.

It has heaped further turmoil on Strictly, which is deemed to be the jewel in the Corporation's crown and is still watched by more than ten million people.

Sources have told the Mail that the accusations have prompted bosses to extend the inquiry to look at other matters, and individuals, involved with the dance series as they prepare for its 20th anniversary.

It means that Pernice, who has already let his frustrations at the investigation be known, faces an even longer wait for an outcome after three former dance partners, including actress Abbington, instructed lawyers to make 'serious complaints' about his conduct.

It also threatens to damage Strictly, the BBC's biggest Saturday night success story since The Generation Game.

A television source told the Mail: 'This investigation is no longer just solely about Giovanni but other, more wider issues. The show has been going for 20 years and the whole veneer of Strictly is so sparkly and lovely, of course there will always be people who feel hard done by.

'Amanda's complaints have started something massive, it has opened the door for others to come forward about things they haven't been happy with.

'It is all a big headache for the BBC, it is about to celebrate a massive milestone with its 20th anniversary.

'Having the Giovanni complaint has been a big enough issue, but now it looks like there is more to be scrutinised and looked into.'

Sources close to Pernice say that he fully expects to be exonerated.