logo
BBC launches investigation into Strictly stars' ‘cocaine use'

BBC launches investigation into Strictly stars' ‘cocaine use'

ITV News4 days ago
The BBC has launched an investigation into alleged cocaine use by two of the stars of Strictly Come Dancing.
Reports in The Sun allege their drug use was discussed on the BBC dancing show, and said that the corporation had appointed law firm Pinsent Masons to lead the investigation.
According to reports, the allegations were made in a legal submission by law firm Russells in March on behalf of former contestant Wynne Evans, who was dropped by the BBC after apologising for using 'inappropriate language' during the launch of the Strictly tour.
Others have also reported drug use on the show.
A BBC spokesperson said: 'We have clear protocols and policies in place for dealing with any serious complaint raised with us.
'We would always encourage people to speak to us if they have concerns. It would not be appropriate for us to comment further.'
it is understood that the BBC often appoints external law firms to help it lead investigations, while reporting back to an internal team.
The cast members involved in the investigation were not named by The Sun.
It comes after the BBC launched a review into Strictly in 2024 that looked into allegations of bullying and harassment against former professional dancer Giovanni Pernice, made by his former dance partner Amanda Abbington.
The corporation upheld some, but not all, of the complaints made – and introduced a series of new measures aimed at improving welfare.
This included the introduction of a chaperone who is present 'at all times' during training room rehearsals.
EastEnders star James Borthwick was also suspended from the BBC after a video emerged of the actor using a disabled slur on the set of the dance programme.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Trump reveals his bizarre theory on why Howard Stern could be cancelled
Trump reveals his bizarre theory on why Howard Stern could be cancelled

Daily Mail​

timea few seconds ago

  • Daily Mail​

Trump reveals his bizarre theory on why Howard Stern could be cancelled

President Donald Trump gave his take on why longtime radio show host Howard Stern may be facing cancellation. The Sun reported Wednesday that Stern's SiriusXM show will end after the shock jock's current contract is up. The Daily Mail previously reported that Stern had been in 'very serious negotiations' with SiriusXM about whether he would be able to extend his $500 million contract, which ends at the end of the year. 'Howard Stern is a name I haven't heard - I used to do his show, we used to have fun - but I haven't heard that name in a long time,' Trump told reporters Wednesday in the Oval Office. 'What happened he got terminated?' the president asked. Stern has not yet been terminated, but that didn't stop Trump. 'You know when he went down? You know when he went down?' Trump then said. 'When he endorsed Hillary Clinton, he lost his audience. People said, get me a break. He went down when he endorsed Hillary Clinton.' Clinton was Trump's 2016 opponent. Stern also had Trump's 2024 rival, Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, on his show last year. Trump also continued to chime in on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert's cancellation. Colbert and the Late Show will both end in May. 'Colbert has no talent,' Trump said in the Oval on Wednesday. 'I mean, I could take anybody here. I could go outside to the beautiful streets and pick a couple of people that do just as well or better. They get higher ratings than he did. He's got no talent,' the president continued. 'Fallon has no talent. Kimmel has no talent. They're next,' Trump added, name-dropping the other late night hosts. 'They're going to be going, I hear they're going to be going.' This week Trump did decide that he liked one prominent figure in pop culture - actress Sydney Sweeney. On Sunday, the Daily Mail asked Trump for reaction after Sweeney was outed as a registered Republican. Trump loved it. 'She's a registered Republican?' the president said with interest on the tarmac of the Lehigh Valley International Airport outside of Allentown, Pennsylvania. Trump was heading back to Washington after spending the weekend at his Bedminster, New Jersey golf resort. 'You'd be surprised at how many people are Republican. That's one I wouldn't have known, but I'm glad you told me that,' he continued. 'If Sydney Sweeney is a registered Republican, I think her ad is fantastic.' Since then, he posted on Truth Social sharing his support for the actress - and the White House's social media account created a meme of Trump, shouting out from the West Wing's rooftop, which he visited Wednesday. 'Have you seen the Sydney Sweeney ad?' the post said.

Kemi Badenoch says the horrific case of evil incest monster Josef Fritzl made her lose her faith in God
Kemi Badenoch says the horrific case of evil incest monster Josef Fritzl made her lose her faith in God

Daily Mail​

timea few seconds ago

  • Daily Mail​

Kemi Badenoch says the horrific case of evil incest monster Josef Fritzl made her lose her faith in God

Kemi Badenoch lost her faith in God over the horrific case of Austrian sex offender Josef Fritzl, the Tory leader has revealed. In an interview with the BBC, Mrs Badenoch said she was 'never that religious' while growing up but 'believed in God' and would define herself as a 'Christian apologist'. But this changed in 2008 when she read reports that Fritzl had imprisoned and repeatedly raped his daughter, Elisabeth, in his basement for 24 years. Mrs Badenoch, whose grandfather was a Methodist minister, told Amol Rajan: 'I couldn't stop reading this story. I read how she prayed every day to be rescued. 'And I thought, I was praying for all sorts of stupid things and was getting my prayers answered. I was praying for good grades and for the bus to come on time. 'Why were my prayers answered and not this woman's? It was like someone blew out a candle.' But she insisted that while she had 'rejected God', she had not rejected the religion and remained a 'cultural Christian', adding that she wanted to 'protect certain Christian values'. During her interview, due to be broadcast tonight, Mrs Badenoch said her tenure as leader was going 'well'. In an apparent dig at Nigel Farage's Reform UK, she said: 'There are pretenders. 'We're the only party on the centre-Right, and the only ones who still believe in values like making sure the Government is not getting involved in everything so it can focus on things like securing our borders.' She went on to argue that parents 'worried about their children getting snatched' had created a generation that lacked the 'resilience' to face life's problems. Mrs Badenoch then responded to figures suggesting a quarter of people aged 16-24 said they had a mental disorder, saying: 'I think they think they have a mental disorder, I don't think they all have a mental disorder.'

The Fortune Hotel review — more backstabbing under the sun
The Fortune Hotel review — more backstabbing under the sun

Times

time32 minutes ago

  • Times

The Fortune Hotel review — more backstabbing under the sun

The Fortune Hotel has been described as The Traitors meets The White Lotus — two high bars I'm not sure it meets. I prefer pass the parcel meets the card game chase the ace, perhaps with a flick of Deal or No Deal. But I don't mean that in a bad way. I think this game show, now in its second series, works, partly because it has a likeable, amiable host in Stephen Mangan, but mostly because it has something that the BBC's new show Destination X, also apparently inspired by The Traitors, does not: lean simplicity. Oh, plus genuine suspense. And Mangan's pale blue leisure slacks teamed with white trainers — a sort of 'man at Zara' look on the beaches of Grenada — compare favourably with Rob Brydon's double-breasted blazers, but let's not be snarky.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store