BBC’s utter ‘panic’ over Strictly ‘rapist’ scandal: Frantic insiders tell KATIE HIND ‘More stories will come out’ as bosses fear crisis could bring down BBC

There was only one topic of conversation as Strictly bosses gathered at Blackpool’s Abingdon Street Market on Friday night.

The usual excitement of those making the pilgrimage for the annual live broadcast from the seaside town’s historic Tower Ballroom was marred by the emergence of news that another star – the second in six months – had been arrested on suspicion of rape.

Some senior staff who toured Blackpool’s street food stalls during a short break from rehearsals were understandably furious. Others tried to hide their disappointment.

But for the show’s millions of avid viewers and its beleaguered production team, one thing is certain. While some have predicted that the latest crisis will finally cause the long-running prime time schedule to be axed, I can reveal that the show will continue and return next year.

As my mole informed me: ‘It has already been commissioned for 2026. It’s impossible for him to go anywhere after that.’

This may seem interesting to those who have witnessed the show lurch from crisis to crisis in recent months. After all, there have been high-profile allegations of bullying and harassment, allegations of cocaine use behind the scenes, and of course, the recent news that veteran hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman will be resigning after this season’s finale.

But the BBC has a good reason to keep the series on air.

My sources tell me bosses feared that if they canceled the show, a large portion of the 7.7 million viewers would be so angry that they would stop paying licensing fees.

Actresses Balvinder Sopal and Julian Cailion are also in the 2025 squad

The BBC is already on the loose with license payers over recent allegations of bias, which have led to three senior resignations, including director general Sir Tim Davie, and increased calls for the company to cut funding.

‘You’re looking at the audience,’ says one insider. ‘There’s probably a lot of people who only watch Strictly and a few other BBC programmes.

‘If you took that away there would be a huge risk they would stop paying their licences, which would be a complete disaster.

‘Obviously, it’s definitely the biggest jewel in the BBC’s crown. If you take that away there will be very angry people and it could bring the company to its financial knees.’

A more pressing concern is that there is nothing to replace the spectacle.

The Beeb and its ITV rivals have long struggled to find new formulas to keep their Saturday night schedules busy.

As one insider explained: ‘You definitely get saved and there’s a lot of TV time to fill.

‘There’s nothing that can replace it right now. It’s not just the live show, it takes two for the results to be shown and throughout the week. It’s hard to find new shows, so why throw away a successful show just because of some terrible people who aren’t around anymore?’

George Clarke and Alexis Warr in Blackpool ahead of this weekend’s special episode of Tower Ballroom

It has a meaning. Every week I receive scores of letters from readers begging me to stop writing negative stories about Strictly and admitting they would be heartbroken if it ended. However, it’s clear that the show is in crisis.

I know the identity of the Strictly star accused of rape, but cannot name him for legal reasons. But what I can reveal is that he is not one of this year’s contestants; This both disturbs and relieves BBC bosses. They also worry this won’t be the last problem it causes.

‘There’s panic about this guy,’ says my Strictly source. ‘There are fears this isn’t the only drama coming their way. There are people ready to talk about it and tell their stories.

‘BBC bosses are relieved that this person is a former member of the programme, so I can’t see why this incident would affect the course of the show. But it’s about optics and calls into question the judgment used when recruiting people to appear on a hit family show like Strictly.’

I was also told by people inside the program that the anger was exacerbated by the fact that the person who made the claim was a BBC staff member.

‘They put this guy on the show and now he’s accused of raping one of us,’ says a source at the Beeb.

‘Of course this person is innocent until proven guilty, but who wouldn’t believe rape victims right now? ‘What’s so disgraceful is that this person was a bad egg who was allowed onto Strictly and now his arrest has brought the show into disrepute.’

However, my source adds: ‘This year’s show is doing great and there are some very nice people.’

In 2023, actress Amanda Abbington accused pro-dancer Giovanni Pernice of bullying her, but Pernice denied it.

This hasn’t always been the case. In 2023, actress Amanda Abbington accused pro-dancer Giovanni Pernice of bullying her, which Pernice denied. The HR investigation cleared him of the most serious allegations.

During the same season, Graziano Di Prima was accused of kicking his celebrity partner Zara McDermott during rehearsals.

Another Strictly star, a man in his 30s, was arrested in August following rape allegations.

Both alleged rapists have the right to remain anonymous, for legitimate reasons, unless they are charged. But it does mean that any man who has appeared on the show since 2004 now finds himself under scrutiny, sparking what my source describes as a ‘witch hunt’. Yesterday, former Apprentice star Tom Skinner, who became the first name eliminated from this year’s series, was forced to deny that he was the person arrested following a claim made by a user on social media platform X.

In response, father-of-three Skinner, 34, wrote: ‘Let me remind you: This is not all a joke. It’s not gossip. It destroys lives. My heart goes out to all the real victims out there and what you are doing here is an insult to them too. You should be ashamed.

‘You can’t drag me down.’

‘Here we go again,’ my source adds. ‘We are conducting a witch hunt on social media; Anyone who joins this site is definitely in the line of fire.’

In 2023, there was heated speculation that an ‘anonymous BBC presenter’ was funding a vulnerable young man’s drug habit in exchange for sexually explicit images. The accused criminal was, of course, eventually named Huw Edwards.

‘It’s unfair that this puts a dark cloud over the enjoyment of Strictly Come Dancing,’ my source adds.

It’s a sentiment shared by BBC bosses and those who have written to me.