New bombshell messages have reportedly changed the course of the probe

STRICTLY Come Dancing bosses are reportedly bracing themselves for criticism in the wake of the show’s ongoing scandal.

The Saturday night staple has been charred by a damaged reputation over the past few months amid Graziano Di Prima’s sacking and the investigation into Amanda Abbington and Giovanni Pernice.

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Strictly bosses are bracing themselves for criticism amid the current BBC probeCredit: PA

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The show is being investigated after Amanda Abbington’s shock claims of ‘abuse’Credit: Pixel8000

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The star previously broke down as she spoke about her time on the showCredit: Channel 4
As part of the current bullying probe into the programme, spurred on by Amanda’s recent claims, the Mirror reports that head honchos are now panicked that they could be the ones to face criticism upon the conclusion of the investigation.

The investigation is expected to determine how staff dealt with backstage situations and to consider how effectively any complaints or concerns were escalated in order to be dealt with.

An insider told the Mirror: “The probe will look at whether producers heeded the warnings that someone may have been struggling and what was done about it.

“It’s difficult to see how the BBC can emerge from this without any blame whatsoever but time will tell. There are always learnings from things like this.”

The Sun has contacted the BBC for comment.

Reports that the Beeb are prepping themselves for a backlash comes after The Sun exclusively revealed that even more bombshell messages from Amanda had delayed the findings of the results.

The BBC investigation was expected to conclude this week until a dramatic intervention from actress Amanda, who quit the show last year.

Giovanni was on the brink of being cleared by investigators until Amanda handed in more text messages, sources said.

They claim further revelations were discussed last week during a meeting with two police officers conducting the probe into the dancer’s behaviour on the BBC show.

A source said: “It has turned the course of the probe.”

The latest disclosures appear to show that Giovanni’s conduct fell short of what is expected from the Strictly pros.

However, insiders said the probe did not paint actress Amanda — who quit the show early last year — in a good light either.

A source said: “The investigation is set to conclude this week but it has been made more difficult by the new disclosure from Amanda.

“It has turned the course of the probe. It seemed Giovanni would be cleared but this new information has changed everything again.

Strictly’s full scandal so far

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 the centre of 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 forced him to withdraw 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.

22nd July: Despite ongoing issues, the Strictly professional cast begin rehearsals for this year’s series.

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: Strictly is forced to beef up security after ‘an intruder scales the wall of the rehearsal studio’.

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.”

24th July: Strictly 2023 star Krishnan Guru-Murthy holds a bombshell interview with Amanda Abbington on Channel 4 news, where she claims she was bullied, with some of the ‘humilation being of a sexual nature’.

27th July: Laura Whitmore releases a statement regarding her Strictly experience, saying “I thought my experience was specific to me but I’ve since learned I was wrong”.

She adds she is not part of the official complaint, but has come forward to support Amanda with the BBC, alongside others.

28th July: Laila Rouass speaks out against the accusations regarding Anton Du Beke, saying she “never felt pressured” by him and “personally insisted on six to seven hours training a day”.

August 10: Graziano breaks his silence on his Strictly axe, saying “these vile, false allegations have ruined my life.”

He also told of the “shocking” end to his friendship with Zara McDermott.

“Giovanni, it seems now, did appear to step over the line of what is acceptable for a BBC ­representative but more discussions need to be had.”

It comes after Amanda, 50, launched a complaint against ­Giovanni, accusing him of being “abusive, cruel and mean”.

The dancer, 33, who quit the BBC show after nine years in May, has denied any wrongdoing.

It is believed six people were spoken to during the probe, including Laura Whitmore, Giovanni’s dance partner in 2016.

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Recent twists could find that Giovanni did “step over the line”Credit: Pixel8000