Ask fans of Strictly Come Dancing to describe the show, and the same buzzwords come up. For Poppy, 25, a Strictly diehard who makes videos about the show on TikTok , those are “sparkly”, “camp”, “joyful”. “It’s escapism,” she says . Strictly recap blogger Ariadne , 30, echoes this – to her, it’s “feelgood television”. For more than two decades , the dance competition has presented itself as the nicest show on telly; a supportive, progressive environment on set, and a bright and soothing viewing experience at home.
But are Strictly fans buying it? While past controversies have largely slipped off the show like water off a duck’s back, the show’s pristine image has taken a beating in recent years. There was the major misconduct and bullying investigation in 2024 that led to two popular pros, Giovanni Pernice and Graziano di Prima, leaving the show. In the lead-up to this year’s series – and alongside the continued fallout from Wynne Evans’s 2024 appearance – further controversy has followed. Strictly has been hit by claims of drug use on set, plus reports that a male star of the show (not from the current series) was arrested on suspicion of rape.
