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Christopher Biggins has revealed he has little sympathy with Strictly Come Dancing contestants who have made allegations of abuse against their professional dance partners.
Earlier this year, the BBC announced new welfare precautions, including chaperones, to help look after Strictly Come Dancing contestants. This followed the axing of dancers Graziano Di Prima and Giovanni Pernice.
Biggins, 75, has appeared on several celebrity reality shows including I’m a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!, Celebrity Come Dine With Me and Celebrity Big Brother.
However, he told Times Radio’s Alexis Conran that he has always turned down invitations to take part in Strictly.
“This whole saga that’s going on at the moment annoys me because I’ve been asked and I would not do it because it is very, very difficult,” said Biggins.
“You have to really be light on your feet, which I think I am but you have to work hard. I mean, it’s one of the worst, not the worst, it’s one of the most hardworking reality TV shows there is on television.
“The whole business of these people complaining about their professional dancers is rubbish because you have to work hard.
“If you want to be good and you want to win, you have to work hard and put the hours in. I certainly couldn’t do it and obviously a lot of people who’ve been complaining couldn’t do it and they shouldn’t be doing the show.”
Conran responded by asking Biggins whether he feels there is a line that can be crossed when encouragement to work hard turns into bullying.
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Biggins replied: “I think Craig Revel Horward, who wrote an article over the weekend, said when he was learning to dance and become a choreographer his teacher would have a stick and would hit them hard.”
Conran asked: “We don’t want to see that kind of thing return, do we?”
Biggins responded: “Well, I mean, if you want to win, if you want to work hard, (then) yes, I think we do.
“That is the whole business. It’s a tough, tough gig and you’ve got to know that. If you don’t know it, don’t do it. Or if you don’t want to be hit across the knuckles, don’t do the show.”
In July, the BBC’s director general Tim Davie apologized to Strictly contestants, saying: “I’m very sorry that anyone has had an experience on Strictly that hasn’t been wholly positive.”
