Former Strictly Come Dancing professionals Brendan Cole and James Jordan appear to mocked the bullying accusations against the series.
The BBC talent competition, which started in 2004, has recently been embroiled in scandal after celebrity contestants accused their dance partners of improper treatment.
Chief among them was Amanda Abbington, who danced with Giovanni Pernice, 33, in the 2023 edition of the competition before quitting midway through the season.
Amanda, 50, is said to have handed more texts to the BBC as the broadcaster conducts its behind-the-scenes investigation into Giovanni, who she described as ‘nasty’ and accused of ‘bullying’ behaviour, which he has denied.
Fellow professional dancer Graziano Di Prima was accused of having ‘kicked and hit’ partner Zara McDermott in the 2023 series.
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Talking to the Daily Mail, the Italian insisted that he’s ‘not a monster’ and ‘not an abusive man’, adding: ‘I wasn’t meaning to kick her. I’d never, never do that. My foot brushed her after I kicked the floor.’
Now, former stars of the show appear to have poked fun at the accusations currently swirling the series, with professionals James and Brendan joking around in a new clip posted to social media.
James, 46, who danced on the show between 2006 and 2013, appeared in a video that showed him rehearsing a dance routine with Brendan, 48, who was part of the line-up between 2004 and 2017.
In the clip, James can be heard saying, ‘This is what happens when you don’t have chaperones,’ before the camera panned to Brendan who had blood dripping from his nose.
Another former Strictly pro, Ian Waite, 53, who was on Strictly from 2004 to 2010, apologised for ‘kicking Brendan’ while another Strictly star, Vincent Simone, 45, bent over in hysterics.
James provided more commentary over the footage: ‘So, it’s happened already. Ian has hit Brendan on the nose and split his nose open, it’s possibly broken.’
The camera then showed a group of female dancers who were shown giggling as the 2012 Strictly runner-up said: ‘The girls are laughing, as if Brendan’s nose wasn’t big enough already – the blood is dripping.’
Brendan shouted into the camera, ‘Help me, help me’ before Ian added that he felt ‘terrible, so terrible,’ saying: ‘I’ve just broken Brendan’s nose! I feel so bad!’
James’ best finish on Strictly Come Dancing came in 2010 when he finished as a runner-up dancing with Denise Van Outen, while his worst finish came with Casualty actress Georgina Bouzova.
Ian finished as a runner-up in 2004 with athlete Denise Lewis, while Brendan was crowned Strictly champion that year with his dance partner Natasha Kaplinsky.
Earlier this week, former Strictly star Debbie McGee revealed that she’s been asked to give evidence in the BBC investigation into her former dancing partner Giovanni.
In 2017, the year after the death of her husband Paul Daniels, Debbie joined the 15th season of Strictly and made it all the way the grand finale – she was eventually declared the runner-up to Joe McFadden.
Debbie, 65, has now revealed in a brand new interview that she has been involved in the Strictly investigation. However, she said she believed the BBC was interviewing all of Giovanni’s previous dance partners.
She told GB News: ‘I think lots of people will be invited to give their experience of Strictly, so I just hope at the end of the day I don’t want anyone to be bullied, I’m really against all of that, but we are all different.’
Metro.co.uk has reached out to Brendan, James, and Ian for comment.
Strictly Come Dancing returns on September 14 on the BBC.
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