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Former Strictly skilled James Jordan has hit out at resurfaced rehearsal footage that exhibits him “mistreating” his movie star accomplice amid the show’s ongoing scandal.
In the clip that’s being shared on-line, Jordan, who appeared on the BBC dancing competitors from 2006 to 2013, is heard fat-shaming his movie star accomplice, former Casualty star Georgina Bouzová, and telling her he would “drag her across the floor and scream at her”.
At one other stage, Jordan throws a chair and says he “doesn’t care” if she’s “physically broken”. According to Jordan, “the footage was shot and edited together by the BBC team for transmission on [companion show] It Takes Two 18 years ago in specific ways for the purposes of ENTERTAINMENT”.
The footage was resurfaced on-line after Graziano Di Prima was dropped as a Strictly professional, following alleged mistreatment of his movie star accomplice, Zara McDermott, on final yr’s sequence.
Di Prima’s dismissal adopted an investigation into the show’s rehearsals after Amanda Abbington mentioned she was “left with PTSD” after collaborating on the “horrible” show with skilled Giovanni Pernice, who has additionally left the sequence.
However, after it was claimed a third professional had been highighted as a “person of interest” by investigators, Jordan defended himself from criticism, urging folks to not “link” the footage shared on-line with the opposite allegations.
The dancer mentioned the compilation of clips “were included for the purpose of exaggeration” as “the BBC thought it would be fun”. He added that producers “loved to paint me as the bad guy”.
Jordan mentioned he “played along” with this depiction, however highlighted that, if there had been a real problem within the rehearsal room, “that footage would NEVER have been allowed to be used in that way by the BBC themselves”.
He wrote on Instagram: “You can see Georgina laughing about it in the studio and in the clips… And I have never received ANY complaints from any of my celebrity dance partners in the eight years I was on the show.
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“I would never have deliberately upset anyone and pride myself on good friendships with my celebrity dance partners.”
Jordan mentioned “there is no comparison to be drawn between those awful allegations and the highly produced and exaggerated VT from the BBC archives that is featuring on social media”, including: “To be clear, I deplore bullying or abusiveness in the workplace.”
The Independent has contacted Bouzova and the BBC for remark. The company beforehand mentioned if points are raised with its exhibits, it can “always take them seriously and act swiftly as appropriate”.
While asserting his departure from the present, Di Prima attributed his off-screen behaviour to his “intense passion and determination to win”, writing: “I deeply regret the events that led to my departure from Strictly. Respecting the BBC HR process, I understand it’s best for the show that I step away.
“While there are aspects of this story involving external influences that I can’t discuss at this time, I remain committed to being strong for my family and friends.”
It has now been revealed that each movie star {and professional} accomplice will probably be assigned a chaperone to oversee all rehearsals going ahead. The new sequence of Strictly – the present’s twentieth anniversary – will start in September.
