Craig Revel-Horwood’s words appear to have served as a warning for what was to come when he described this year’s Strictly as “looser”, saying there's more banter behind the scenes.
The judge and former dancer, 59, made his remarks last month, but they seem particularly pertinent now as contestant Wynne Evans and pro Katya Jones came under fire after trying to shrug off an awkward interaction caught-on-camera as a "joke".
Not helping the situation is right now the hit BBC dance show is facing heightened scrutiny following a number of celebrities speaking out negatively about their experiences while taking part in it.
Speaking to Bella magazine, Horwood described the energy as the new series got underway, saying: "It’s great to be back in the Strictly saddle and I was delighted to be reunited with my fellow judges. It feels like we've loosened it up a little this year - we’re being a bit more spontaneous and have more banter - as if we were speaking on the sofa at home.
"I am speaking my mind… more than ever and you know I like to do that darlings! We got together for a little drink too after the show and a catch up and it was fabulous."
Last weekend, tongues were set wagging when 52-year-old opera singer Evans - who is best known for the Go Compare insurance adverts - appeared to slide his hand across Jones’ waist, before she pushed it away.
Later on in the show, Evans offered the Russian native a high five, which she ignored before turning back to the camera, stony-faced.
The pair have both apologised and since doubled-down on their insistence it was all in jest as a clip showing the incident was widely shared on social media.
Appearing on BBC Radio Wales on Monday, Evans said angry reactions directed at him from fans was “tedious” and admitted the “joke” was “not funny”.
He told listeners: “I'm absolutely heartbroken by the things that have been written about me in the last day.
“It's not nice to live in that time, but basically Katya and I are really, really close and we're really good friends, and on Saturday night we made a stupid joke.
“It was a stupid joke that went wrong, okay, we thought it was funny. It wasn't funny. It has been totally misinterpreted.”
