Strictly hosts Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly ‘vow to stand by the show’ after ‘abuse’ scandal – amid claims male pros are ‘concerned’ about impact of allegations

Strictly Come Dancing presenters Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly have reportedly pledged their support for the show following recent alleged ‘abuse scandals’.

Graziano Di Prima, 30, was axed from the upcoming series following reports he verbally and physically abused his celebrity partner Zara McDermott, 27, during last year’s competition.

This came after Giovanni Pernice, 33, was suspended from the show last month following allegations of off-screen misconduct – which he denies – by Amanda Abbington, 50, and two other former celebrities.

But according to a new report, Tess, 55, and Claudia, 52, will continue to work on the show and will not be leaving for the time being as the BBC tries to get things back on track.

A source said The sun: ‘Like everyone else, Tess and Claudia are shocked by the allegations that have come to light.

According to a new report, Tess, 55, and Claudia, 52, will continue working on the show and will not be leaving for the time being as the BBC attempts to get the ship back on course.

‘Of course, the people who work on the program have wondered whether any of them will want to leave the company now that the show has been plunged into scandal.

‘However, Tess and Claudia have privately promised to continue to support the show and to co-present this year’s series in a few months.

‘For them, Strictly really is a family and they want to give the show and its bosses their full support.’

MailOnline has asked the BBC for comment.

Tess has been a co-host since the show began in 2004, with Claudia joining her in 2014 following the passing of Bruce Forsyth.

This comes as the crisis at Strictly has worsened in recent days, with other male dancers raising concerns about the potential impact on them.

It has now emerged that the allegations have left a number of male professionals on the BBC show concerned about the impact on them.

A source told MailOnline on Thursday that the male dancers are ‘very concerned and worried about the impact this is going to have on them’ and that they ‘feel like this is the new #MeToo’.

Graziano Di Prima, 30, was axed from the upcoming series following reports he verbally and physically abused his celebrity partner Zara McDermott, 27, during last year’s competition

The scandal followed Amanda Abbington’s accusations that Giovanni Pernice had bullied her during rehearsals. He has strongly denied the claims

This comes as the Strictly crisis has worsened in recent days, with other male dancers now raising concerns about the potential impact on them.

MailOnline has contacted the BBC for comment.

On Tuesday night it was announced that a third professional dancer who is no longer participating in the show has been identified as a “person of interest” in the wake of allegations of abuse and bullying.

It was said that the name was given to Carter-Ruck, the law firm that represented Amanda Abbington.

Little more is known about the person’s identity and the BBC reportedly does not know who or what he is accused of.

There have also been allegations of a massive cover-up by the BBC, as crew members are said to have complained about Graziano’s behaviour during the series but no action was taken.

Insiders have told The Sun that the ‘It is becoming increasingly clear that there appears to be a widespread problem with the behaviour of some professionals in training.’

‘The more people come forward, the clearer the picture becomes.’

The scandal grew even bigger on Wednesday after footage emerged of former professional dancer James Jordan telling his partner he would “drag her across the floor and yell at her” if she forgot her dance moves.

The clip, which was filmed during the fourth season in 2006, shows him rehearsing with actress Georgina Bouzova.

He also tells her to “finish yourself” while demanding she stand on one leg and insists that he doesn’t care how much pain she’s in unless she’s broken a rib. He is also seen throwing a chair across the workout studio.

James, who left Strictly in 2012 after starring in eight seasons, is also said to have banned Georgina, who previously starred in BBC medical drama Casualty, from eating sweets and chocolate, only letting her buy pineapple and ham when they went to the supermarket together.

The scandal grew even bigger on Wednesday after new research revealed that former professional dancer James Jordan told his partner he would “drag her across the floor and yell at her” if she forgot her dance moves.

However, James reacted angrily after the clip from Strictly spin-off show It Takes Two resurfaced.

The 46-year-old ballroom dancer and choreographer fiercely criticised the BBC, saying most of the footage had “nothing to do with Georgina at all”.

He shared an angry statement on Instagram saying the footage had been “edited for entertainment” and was “highly produced and exaggerated.”

He said there was “no comparison between those terrible allegations and the VT”, while insisting that none of his celebrity partners ever complained about him during his eight years on the show.