When reality star Thomas Skinner furiously snatched a journalist’s phone during an interview ahead of his Strictly Come Dancing debut last year – and then admitted he’d cheated on his wife just weeks after his wedding – the series was mired in scandal before it had even begun.
Now, as the former jewel in the BBC’s ever-depleting crown prepares to return for its 24th series, bosses are determined that history will not repeat itself.
For insiders at the usually press-friendly show have told the Daily Mail that ‘the shutters have been firmly pulled down’ as bosses are ‘desperate’ to keep journalists at arm’s length to prevent any further scandal leaking into the public domain.
‘After last year, bosses are terrified of another Thomas Skinner-style farce hitting the show before it has even begun and are doing everything in their power to avoid any controversy,’ our source told us.
‘The show is on its knees already – they know one more blow could finish it off.’
Instead, influencers have been welcomed into its Elstree Studios to promote a ‘squeaky clean’ and ‘curated’ image for the show on social media.
The BBC has officially partnered with social media giant TikTok this year in a bid to bring Strictly Come Dancing to a younger audience
Strictly bosses are said to be ‘terrified’ of another farce after scandal surrounded reality star Thomas Skinner on the show last year
The less social media savvy contestants – such as winter Olympian Tabby Stoecker and Gavin & Stacey star Melanie Walters – have all been set up with TikTok accounts
This year, the corporation has officially partnered with social media giant TikTok in a bid to reach a younger audience. The less social media savvy contestants – actress Jaime Winstone, 41, actor Lawrence Robb, 34, winter Olympian Tabby Stoecker, 25, and Gavin & Stacey star Melanie Walters, 64 – have all been set up with TikTok accounts.
Strictly’s professional dancers have also been undergoing TikTok training, while the celebrities have been encouraged to get on board.
‘The BBC are chasing a younger audience. They have pulled in social media giants TikTok to try to overhaul their image,’ the source adds.
‘They have lost the interest and trust of some of their once loyal older viewers. Now they’re trying to grab a new one and are throwing everything at it.’
And so, in a striking departure from the traditional Strictly launch, the annual press day was not filled with entertainment journalists firing questions at the new stars but Gen Z content creators. They sat down with contestants to film interviews for their own social media channels.
The questions were hardly probing. ‘Which themed week are you most looking forward to?’ was one. ‘Which song would you like to dance to?’ another.
Any awkward probing in relation to previous scandals or even what goes on behind the scenes was noticeable by its absence.
Strictly’s new presenters – Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe – have all been getting involved in TikTok challenges and dances, while the BBC has been churning out at least one piece of social content a day.
The show has increasingly cast contestants with substantial online followings – Joe Sugg in 2018, Saffron Barker in 2019, HRVY and Jamie Laing in 2020, Zara McDermott in 2023 and Tasha Ghouri in 2024.
Amber Davies and George Clarke continued that trend last year.
And this year, there’s more than ever. Love Island winner Cach Mercer, 25, influencer Dani Dyer, 30, Instagram star Chris Appleton, 43, and YouTuber John Nellis, 33, will all be competing for the glitterball.
The new professional dancers joining the show also appear to fit neatly into this new social-media era. Five new pros – Aleksandra Isaeva, 22, Cristian Priori, 34, Lethabo Monametsi, 23, Maddie Ingoldsby, 21, and Mark Karmalita, 22 – will make their Strictly debut tonight.
They replace established favourites including Nadiya Bychkova, 37, Karen Hauer, 44, Michelle Tsiakkas, 30, Luba Mushtuk, 36, and Gorka Marquez, 35.
The new dancers are all accomplished performers in their own right. But they also come with something that has become increasingly important to the BBC: sizeable social-media potential.
Maddie and Aleksandra are both already fully-fledged influencers with hundreds of thousands of followers between them while Cristian, Lethabo and Mark appear to be building online followings.
The shake-up has sparked an ageism row, with questions raised over the decision to replace established professional dancers with a younger generation. But the new intake certainly fits the BBC’s desire to make Strictly more social-media friendly.
And this presents another headache for the corporation.
Because what happens when their Strictly stars are also influencers with lucrative commercial deals?
BBC rules state that talent should not seek to capitalise on their fame from appearing on its programmes.
However, the corporation has previously allowed stars to promote brands on social media where commercial relationships pre-date their BBC appearances.
For Strictly’s new generation of social-media stars, that means having to strike a careful balance between feeding their audiences, satisfying brand partners and promoting the BBC show – without crossing its commercial guidelines.
Strictly’s new presenting trio – Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe – have all been getting involved in TikTok challenges and dances
The show has increasingly cast contestants with substantial online followings, with TV personality and influencer Dani Dyer continuing the trend this year
Perhaps unsurprisingly, then, Strictly’s new strategy comes after a period in which the programme has faced unprecedented scrutiny.
Skinner’s clash with the press was only the latest headache.
Last year, former contestant Wynne Evans was recorded by our colleague Dolly Busby for The Mail on Sunday making an offensive sexual remark at Birmingham Arena while celebrities and dancers posed for a group photograph for the Strictly tour. He was subsequently dropped as a BBC radio presenter.
But the biggest crises occurred in the 2023 series, after which two celebrity contestants made serious accusations about their professional partners.
Amanda Abbington quit the series early, going on to accuse her professional partner Giovanni Pernice of ‘abusive and cruel’ behaviour.
A forensic internal investigation in 2024, costing around £250,000, subsequently upheld some of her complaints, though not the most serious allegations.
The same series also saw the sacking of professional dancer Graziano Di Prima, after he admitted to kicking his celebrity partner Zara McDermott during rehearsals.
The fall-out forced Strictly to introduce new duty-of-care measures, including chaperones, the presence of a member of the production team during rehearsals, and increased support for celebrities and professional dancers in the form of two dedicated welfare producers.
There were even concerns that the controversy surrounding the show could deter future celebrities from signing up.
And then came the loss last year of two of its most familiar faces, with long-running presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman stepping down after over 20 years together.
Little wonder Strictly bosses are keen to start afresh.
As to the wisdom of the BBC flooding social media with carefully packaged content from a show whose greatest strength has always been its live, unpredictable magic, time – and viewing figures – will tell.
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