‘We love you, Gio!’: the superfans for whom Strictly Come Dancing can do no wrong

It may be mired in scandal but, for a large coterie of “Strictlies”, the show is unbreakable

Abuse, rape and death threats – consider recent news about Strictly Come Dancing and you could reasonably conclude that it has, irrevocably, lost its sparkle. But enter the world of its superfans, and it is a different story. This week, as the line-up announcements for its 20th anniversary year have begun trickling through, no amount of training-room rumours or complaints of a “toxic workplace” from junior production staff has dampened their adulation. 
That’s the case for Miranda Jacques*, 70, who says there is “absolutely no way” that the current Strictly cloud will stop her from tuning in this autumn. “I am in total support of Giovanni [Pernice]”, the pro whose strained relationship with Amanda Abbington has prompted a string of bullying accusations, including from other former dance partners (which Pernice denies). The BBC has removed Pernice from the show (along with Graziano di Prima, who was announced as part of this year’s competition before being removed following footage emerging of him kicking his partner, Zara McDermott, in training last year). The fallout has resulted in rape and death threats for Abbington and her children; she has admitted that she is scared to take public transport. 
Fans say they feel for the actor – but their adoration for Pernice is stronger. “He is fantastic, he is a brilliant teacher – he is a taskmaster – and I can’t imagine there’s anything untoward going on there,” says Jacques. “I would always watch Strictly, and I would support Giovanni.”
They may not be at quite the same level as Swifties, but Strictlies are a fandom to be reckoned with. In June, I attended Pernice and Anton du Beke’s live tour, which left the 1,000-strong crowd virtually pulsating; there were several calls of “we love you, Gio!” from the audience in a room that didn’t bear even the faintest hint of the raging BBC maelstrom. On the heels of that 30-date tour Pernice will go on a solo five-month run in January. While the BBC series only airs for three months, the merchandise, live dates and social media attention are heaped on its participants all year-round.
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In Facebook groups dedicated to Strictly – one of which has 110,000 members – there are numerous posts each day sharing how they have never missed a show, nor ever will. “I take on board what is going on but won’t let it spoil my viewing,” writes one woman, while another confirms that “the recent issues haven’t put me off”. “Let’s hope all this rubbish attention we are getting doesn’t spoil the celebrations,” suggests another of the Strictlies. “I know it won’t for me.”
Other posts involve topless pictures of Pernice, and polls asking whether, were he to suggest a “seriously intense” dance with them, they would “crawl up the stairs on my hands and knees” to acquiesce. (One of the hundred-plus replies: “I would be first in line, just to look into those deep smouldering dark eyes and put my hands all over that sun drenched kissed body”). It’s not exactly fan fiction, but it’s not far off.
New joiners get “a big sparkly welcome” (being tagged in a status) each day; there are endless run-downs of viewers’ Strictly crushes and judges and last week, palpable excitement as each new contestant is announced. But the discussions aren’t always glitterballs and rainbows. When someone posted news of staff reporting poor treatment on-set, it received 92 comments – mostly negative – including “I’m sick to death of seeing simpering people laying into the pros”; multiple accusations of “sabotage” from other channels, and others pleading to “STOP ALL THIS!” so fans could return to lusting over the show in peace.
For the most part, the Strictly fan bubble may be resilient to current strife – but can the show really get off unscathed? “Ultimately, the audience decides,” says one longtime industry insider. “I think the BBC knows that they can ride this storm, and they can pump the best they can into making the programme as good as it might be.”
And so this series of Strictly likely won’t just be damage control, but sequins on steroids. (There have been suggestions that the first line-up announcement, of blind comedian Chris McCausland, was useful PR.) Viewing figures have already proven more resistant to fluctuations than other longstanding shows, with the 2022 and 2023 finals drawing in a ratings peak of 9.7m viewers (though the average final viewing figures had dropped from 9.2m to 8.8m last year). The 2023 festive special was Christmas Day’s most popular broadcast (excepting the King’s Speech), in spite of the fact rumblings about Pernice had begun months before. “The failing of a programme is often when it doesn’t deliver entertainment,” the insider says – and the BBC won’t let its golden goose become guilty of that anytime soon.
Hayley Kellard, 41, is a more recent convert to the show, having begun watching three years ago. “It’s a shame this has all happened but Strictly comes on at a time when the nights are getting darker, the weather’s getting colder and it just brightens our Saturday night.” She has seen something of an age split in her circle when it comes to the effect of the allegations: “All the older people I’ve spoken to said it will make no difference and they’ll continue to watch, so I do wonder if it’ll be a younger crowd that switch off… as much as I do support the women that have come out and complained, the men responsible have left the show and I have to trust that the Strictly team won’t let this happen again.” 
Much of the furore has centred around the rigour required for competitive dance training, and whether celebrities – often handled with kid gloves – can take the heat. Viewer Paul Emery, 51, who watches with his family on Saturday nights, says that “pro dancers are very competitive and will want to push their celebrity as far as they can, at what point is that crossing the line? I think the BBC should have some kind of safeguarding in place to protect the contestants for the upcoming year.”
Former professionals are less forgiving. Jacques says that celebrities who complain simply don’t understand what being a dancer requires: “You have to have that level of determination, and now, a lot of actresses and actors don’t.” 
Another former ballroom teacher agrees that tough treatment is par for the course, and that she “wouldn’t have dared” speak out while rising the ranks. She adds that as Strictly has grown, an influx of younger professionals who have only ever been competitive performers “may not therefore have had significant teaching experience, which is bound to create issues in the training room.” That, plus “celebs’ expectations of ‘it’s all glamour so can’t be that hard’, doesn’t help.”
Some feel recent reports could affect the quality of the dancing, and the willingness of celebrities to take part. “Professionals will now be terrified of any words or actions that could be misconstrued,” says Patricia Sanders, 70, who thinks recent contestants are without the “grit” and “commitment” required to see it through. “It is a great programme but we have a feeling the standard might not be as high this year as professionals will be so afraid of apparently overstepping the mark.”
*Name has been changed
Strictly Come Dancing returns in September