James Jordan has insisted he hasn't ever received "any complaints" from any of his celebrity dance partners following the eight years he was on 'Strictly Come Dancing', after a resurfaced clip from 2006 sparked backlash.
James Jordan has insisted he hasn't ever received 'any complaints' from any of his celebrity dance partners following the eight years he was on Strictly
The 46-year-old ballroom dancer - who was a pro on 'Strictly' from 2006 to 2013 - has hit back after footage of him on spin-off show 'It Takes Two', in which he called his 2006 celebrity partner Georgina Bouzova "lazy cow" and "fat belly", resurfaced in recent days.
But James has claimed the footage was "edited together" to be broadcast on 'It Takes Two' "for the purposes of entertainment", and insisted producers loved to paint him as "the bad guy", and he "played along".
He wrote on Instagram: "For those of you who have seen the edited BBC VT of me training with Georgina 18 years ago - yes I had hair once!!
But I just wanted to reassure you that footage was shot and edited together by the BBC team for transmission on It Takes Two 18 years ago in specific ways for the purposes of ENTERTAINMENT. Many of the clips were not related to Georgina at all (they are not allowed to do that these days as it misrepresents what actually happened) but were included for the purpose of exaggeration. The BBC thought it would be fun to put this VT together in the way they did. You can see Georgina laughing about it in the studio and in the clips... And I have never received ANY complaints from any of my celebrity dance partners in the 8 years I was on the show. Obviously if I had genuinely upset anyone, that footage would NEVER have been allowed to be used in that way by the BBC themselves. The Producers loved to paint me as the bad guy and I played along...always a perfectionist ...but I would never have deliberately upset anyone and pride myself on good friendships with my celebrity dance partners. I strongly suggest that nobody attempts to link this edited BBC VT with the current alleged reports of abusive behaviour taking place behind the scenes by other Strictly professionals. There is no comparison to be drawn between those awful allegations and the highly produced and exaggerated VT from the BBC archives that is featuring on social media. To be clear, I deplore bullying or abusiveness in the workplace.
Big love to all of you
James (sic)"
James' comments come after Graziano Di Prima was axed by the BBC Latin and ballroom show last week amid reports of alleged misconduct relating to how he treated his 2023 dance partner Zara McDermott, while fellow pro dancer Giovanni Pernice will also not be returning to the programme amid allegations about his treatment of some of his celebrity dance partners.
Earlier this week, Zara told how she had "wrestled with the fear of opening up" about her experience on the programme, insisting she had a "very different" experience "inside the training room" compared to how it was working with her fellow contestants.
Zara also claimed there are videos of "particular incidents, which are incredibly distressing to watch".
Last weekend, Graziano confirmed he had departed 'Strictly', writing on Instagram: "I deeply regret the events that led to my departure from Strictly. My intense passion and determination to win might have affected my training regime.
"Respecting the BBC HR process, I understand it's best for the show that I step away.
"While there are aspects of this story involving external influences that I can't discuss at this time, I remain committed to being strong for my family and friends.
"I wish the Strictly family and the BBC nothing but success in the future. I also want to thank everyone who has supported my career, both professionally and personally. When the time is right, I will share my story."
A BBC spokesperson said: "We can confirm that Graziano Di Prima is no longer a part of the line-up of professional dancers for the upcoming series of 'Strictly Come Dancing'.
"While we would never comment on individual cases, it is well-known that the BBC has established robust duty of care procedures, and if issues are raised we will always take them seriously and act swiftly as appropriate."
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