Peter Andre has addressed the Strictly Come Dancing scandal as the show's duty of care comes under scrutiny.
The beloved BBC dance series faces a crisis with veteran professional dancers Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima axed amid an internal investigation into the show.
The pop star, who participated in 2015’s instalment with professional partner Janette Manrara, shared his perspective amidst the allegations of bullying.
Despite the ongoing investigation, Andre only had positive things to say about his time on the series and reminded fans that the accusations are yet to be proven.
Writing in his OK! column, the 51-year-old penned: “I’ve been reading a lot about what’s going on with Strictly at the moment but I can really only comment about my own experience on the show.
“I was surrounded by a great bunch of people. We don’t know what is true but accusations are still only accusations until they’re proven.”
However, the Mysterious Girl singer said he supported the broadcaster's decision to record rehearsals and provide chaperones for the celebrities, aiming to address the issues at hand.
Despite this, he acknowledged that it will still be a challenging period for the beloved Saturday night show moving forward.
“On the other hand, things like this just shouldn’t be happening behind closed doors,” he continued. “It’s going to be a difficult time for Strictly and for all those involved.
“The show could be in the spotlight for a different reason this year.”
The show has been at the centre of a storm of complaints from some of its former celebrity stars with Amanda Abbington, Zara McDermott and Paralympian Will Bayley all speaking out.
The table tennis star said he suffered a life-changing injury during the making of the hit show and said there was “no duty of care”.
Abbington criticised professional dancer Giovanni Pernice, saying his behaviour was “unnecessary, abusive, cruel and mean”. The Italian dancer will not appear in the new series but has previously denied accusations of abusive behaviour.
As the BBC's investigation into misconduct intensified, pro Graziano Di Prima was then axed from the show amid allegations he "kicked" Love Island star McDermott during rehearsals. He has since stated that he "deeply regrets" the incidents leading to his departure.
On Tuesday, BBC boss Tim Davie confirmed the new series of Strictly would go ahead despite recent controversies over the treatment of contestants but said “unacceptable behaviour” will not be tolerated.
The general director apologised over alleged mistreatment of contestants, saying: “I’m very sorry that anyone has had a experience on Strictly that hasn’t been wholly positive, I think that is something we do reflect on, and I’m sorry about that.”
He said there will inevitably be “competitiveness, hard work and the will to do well” on the show, adding: “But there are limits and the line should never be crossed. We will never tolerate unacceptable behaviour of any kind.”
