They were brought in by the BBC following complaints made against professional dancers Giovanni Pernice and Graziano di Prima during Strictly rehearsals.
Now the chaperones employed by the dance show to keep a watchful eye over training sessions are getting in the way of the action.
Some of this year’s celebrities have complained the chaperones – introduced under the corporation’s new duty of care measures ahead of the 2024 series – are ruining the flow of their learning, The Mail on Sunday can exclusively reveal.
Sources on the show say that in some cases it has gone ‘over the top’. One said: ‘The chaperones have started to become a bit of a nightmare. It’s making training harder and less enjoyable because there are lots of stops and starts.
‘Nobody wants a repeat of Graziano kicking Zara McDermott but some of the situations are a bit over the top. The chaperones are logging things that really don’t need to be. It’s like it has gone from one extreme to the other.
The source added: ‘Some celebrities just want to crack on, get on with it and learn to dance. It has all got a bit too much. Just because there were some unfortunate incidents, it doesn’t mean everyone should have to put up with it.’
Another source, involved with Strictly for several years, said things are ‘just not the same anymore’, adding: ‘There is a lot more walking on eggshells.
‘The chances of the Strictly curse [where contestants fall for each other despite being in a relationship with somebody else] have also lessened because there is a chaperone hanging around.
The BBC introduced chaperones for this season of Strictly following complaints made against several of the show’s professional dancers including Graziano Di Prima (left) who had to apologise for kicking his former dance partner Zara McDermott (right) in rehearsals
Giovanni Pernice (left) was another of the professional dancers on the wrong end of allegations over his treatment of Strictly partner Amanda Abbington (right)
‘The training sessions are no longer the intimate surroundings they were, which is a shame.’
The chaperoning has become a hot topic among the 15 celebrities in this year’s series, as well as the professionals – with many not believing they are needed.
But a BBC source defended the use of the chaperones – who are Strictly production staff – saying the stopping and starting is also down to them noticing moments which could be captured for pre- recorded segments of the show.
In July 2024, the BBC announced that chaperones were to attend all rehearsals following complaints about the behaviour of Mr Pernice – who denied bullying his former partner Amanda Abbington – and Mr Di Prima. They also appointed ‘welfare producers’ to stamp out inappropriate behaviour.
While Mr Pernice was cleared of 11 of the 17 allegations made by Sherlock star Ms Abbington, he didn’t return to the show. Neither did Mr Di Prima, who kicked ex- Love Island star Ms McDermott during training and stomped off.
Both Mr Pernice and Ms Abbington recorded their rehearsals before the BBC stepped in to do it themselves after the pair began to fall out. A Strictly spokesman declined to comment yesterday.
