Strictly Come Dancing is pitched as a family-friendly show, but this year’s offering has become marred in controversy.
Last week, professional dancer Ola Jordan claimed the show was “fixed.” And after Loose Women star Jamelia, 34, lost out in the dance-off to Peter Andre, she insinuated BBC bosses had fixed it for the singer to stay in the show and even “faked” scenes of him getting a standing ovation.
BBC bosses hit back saying Pete did receive a standing ovation, but that “continuity shots” had been taken during a break in filming, adding: “These extra opportunities to capture audience reaction are standard practice.”
Just days earlier, Ola, 33 – who’s confirmed she’s leaving the show after nine series – had claimed the judges fixed the scores. She said: “Some of the marking is way off. People are over-marked and under-marked.”
A source says: “The Strictly producers like to keep the show’s reputation clean cut and are infuriated that both Jamelia and Ola have tried to call its integrity into question. The show has been a success for 11 years and they want to distance it from any controversy. The atmosphere behind the scenes is very tense right now.”
Read the full story in this week’s Closer – out now