FORMER Strictly pro Kristina Rihanoff has revealed she nearly quit the show over a lack of mental health support.
The Russian dancer, who starred on the BBC programme between 2008 and 2015, has spoken out on the demands faced by the show’s pros amid the fallout from the Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima scandals.
Giovanni stepped away from the programme after nine years following the launch of an investigation into his training room conduct.
It was prompted by complaints made by actress Amanda Abbington and thee other celebrities who had previously danced with Gio.
Graziano was sacked after video footage emerged of him kicking his dance partner Zara McDermott in a rehearsal last year.
Much has been made of the welfare of celebrity contestants as they adapt to gruelling conditions in the rehearsals, but less has been said about the issues facing the seasoned dancers.
Kristina told GBNews today: “I think they have to put more measures in place to keep everybody safe, celebrities and of course professionals too.
“I spoke already about it that we also suffer, like everyone else sometimes, feeling overwhelmed, overworked, nobody to talk to.
“So we’ve got to kind of look at it that it is a very difficult environment, very stressful. We all worked very hard on the show to deliver the best show we could deliver on Saturday night.”
Recalling her own experience on the programme, Kristina admitted she came close to leaving the programme as the pressure became too much amid issues in her personal life.
She said: “But from the professional’s point of view, I could never remember that I actually had somebody who could help me manage stress levels or my sort of mental health at that time where the times were very rough.
“I was going one year on the show when my mom was having a cancer scare and I still had to go obviously and perform and I was battling inside between, ‘should I just leave and go and see her or stay on the show?’
“So there are difficult times for every single person who is involved in the show, not just the celebrities but pros as well.
“And I think having so-called well-being producers, if they’ve named them now, I think will be super helpful.”
Last month, following a series of crisis meetings, the BBC announced safeguards are being introduced for celebrities and dancers on the show.
Measures include on-call counsellors, cameras to film training, the offer of post-show therapy and the provision of chaperones if requested.
Psychological testing will also be implemented to ensure stars are “robust” enough to cope with the constant media and online scrutiny.
Earlier this year the BBC appointed a Duty of Care Executive.
Training, masterclasses and webinars will be held throughout the year for all non-scripted shows.
In a press release announcing the move, Kate Phillips, Director of Unscripted, said: “The BBC takes its duty of care responsibilities incredibly seriously and we are always looking at ways to further strengthen our commitment to ensuring the health, safety and wellbeing of contributors.”
A source said: “Strictly is the jewel in the crown of their schedule, and upwards of ten million people tune in weekly — that’s a lot of pressure for everyone involved.
“The BBC is under enormous pressure to ensure this series goes without a hitch. Cameras will be installed pretty much everywhere and a counsellor will be on call 24/7.”
Strictly Come Dancing's scandal has been growing over the past few months, with several major players speaking out about what went on. Here are the key moments of what's happened so far
16th May: Giovanni Pernice sensationally quits Strictly Come Dancing after nine years on the show.
17th May: Giovanni becomes central to an official investigation after three former partners – believed to be Amanda Abbington, Laura Whitmore and Ranvir Singh – make complaints to the BBC.
16th June: Giovanni releases an official statement vowing to clear his name and denies any wrongdoing.
8th July: Strictly confirms Aljaz Skorjanec will return to the series, replacing Giovanni, after initially quitting the show two years ago.
10th July: Amanda Abbington launches fresh legal proceedings to get the rehearsal footage from her time with Giovanni, after allegedly he refused to release the videos.
13th July: Graziano Di Prima is axed from Strictly for “gross misconduct” after footage of his treatment of Zara McDermott is brought to the attention of the BBC.
Graziano quickly broke his silence, apologising for his behaviour in a statement and saying he “deeply regrets it”, adding his “intense passion and determination to win might have affected his training regime.”
15th July: Strictly bosses implement new duty of care protocols, including having a chaperone present throughout all rehearsals.
16th July: Zara McDermott speaks out publicly for first time. She states while the production team were “amazing to work with”, she found the rehearsal room “completely different”, confirming there’s footage of “certain situations”.
19th July: Anton Du Beke is put under the spotlight for his “1970s attitude” and treatment of female celeb stars, particularly after allegedly referring to 2009 partner Laila Rouass as a “p***” after getting a spray tan.
21st July: Paralympian Will Bayley, who has limb condition arthrogryposis, revealed he was encouraged to leap from a table during a dance routine, despite fears. The stunt caused an injury that left him withdrawing from the show.
22nd July: MasterChef’s Gregg Wallace admits he broke down in tears and got a nasty stress rash on his face during his time on Strictly in 2014.
23rd July: Celebrity agent Melanie Blake claims she was sexually assaulted by an unnamed pro dancer while backstage on the show, and claims she witnessed ageism, rudeness and a rough treatment to the point of injury.
23rd July: BBC boss Tim Davie breaks his silence on the ongoing allegations against Strictly, saying he is ‘deeply sorry’, adding: “Hundreds of people, be they pros, contestants or crew have been part of it and had a brilliant experience.
“At the same time if someone thinks there was something wrong or they want to talk about their experience then of course we want them to raise that with us. Be in no doubt we will take it seriously, listen and deal with it as appropriate.”
