BBC Strictly Come Dancing 'forced to make big change' weeks before new series
dailyrecord.co.ukWeeks before Strictly Come Dancing makes its anticipated return, show executives have decided to cut the programme's budget to fund new welfare initiatives.The hit dance contest is set to grace BBC One again in September, but its 22nd season has been marred by accusations of misconduct involving stars such as Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima.Moreover, recent announcements about the cast, featuring celebrities like TOWIE's Pete Wicks and Love Island's Tasha Ghouri, have caused a stir among dedicated fans who are disappointed with the apparent scarcity of female participants.With BBC chiefs striving to prevent this growing scandal from overshadowing Strictly's milestone series, reports suggest the broadcaster had to reallocate funds to implement new welfare measures aimed at protecting the celebrity contestants, impacting the show's overall budget.
An insider quoted by The Daily Mail revealed that the introduction of welfare provisions for the stars necessitated financial adjustments, including "cuts to the cast", reports the Mirror.The source explained: "Money had to be found to pay for chaperones and welfare producers", adding, "and we still don't know how much all these allegations are going to cost the show.
It is not going to be cheap. A decision was made to make cuts to the cast."The "reduced casting budget" for the Strictly 2024 cast has drawn criticism from fans of the long-standing show, who were left puzzled by some unfamiliar names. "The line-up is one of our cheapest ever.
We know audiences are disappointed, especially given the quality of our celebrities in the last five years", a source revealed.This follows the Mail on Sunday's report that Giovanni Pernice is likely to be "exonerated" following
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