Strictly Come Dancing viewers admitted they cancelled the show because it was ‘sickly sweet’ following the programme’s abuse scandals.
Last weekend, the dance competition suffered another setback: the viewing figures for the first live episode dropped to their lowest level ever.
Despite the series marking the 20th anniversary of the beloved BBC programme, the episode was watched by just 6.7 million viewers, down from 7.3 million viewers for the same episode last year and 10.2 million viewers in 2020.
The show has been embroiled in controversy over the way the professional dancers teach the celebrities, with multiple allegations of bullying and offensive behavior.
Although the BBC has introduced new anti-bullying measures for its stars, including a dedicated helpline and chaperones at rehearsals, no mention of this was made during the broadcast.
Strictly viewers have said they turned the show off because it was ‘sickly sweet’ following the programme’s abuse scandals (pictured: presenters Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly)
This weekend the dance competition suffered another blow when viewing figures for the first live episode fell to their lowest level ever (Photo: Motsi Mabuse and Shirley Ballas)
Fans took to X, formerly Twitter, to express their disappointment between the launch show earlier this month and the live show on Saturday, and explained why they couldn’t connect with the show this year.
They shared: ‘So much love in the room, almost OTT sickly sweet, I hope they all get in this year and there’s no drama. #Strictly’; ‘Can we just dance please? I’m not interested in life stories.’; ‘Agreed. This isn’t the X Factor and we don’t need sob stories from washed up celebrities. #StrictlyComeDancing #Strictly’
‘Every time someone sheds an emotional tear or tells a sad story, they get 5 points less. Agreed? Agreed. #Strictly’; ‘God, everyone is just too nice for Strictly, next year we’ll hear the horror stories and scandals, #Strictly’; It feels like a lot has been tried this year, maybe because of the scandals #Strictly #BBCStrictly [sic]’
All 15 celebrities and their professional partners took to the dance floor for the first live show since the launch last weekend, where the couples were revealed for the first time.
A source told The Sun that bosses were concerned after already being “concerned” about losing almost a million viewers compared to the previous year due to the pre-recorded show.
They said: ‘The fact that the first live show also showed a drop will worry them, especially if the drop continues into next week, the first elimination show.
‘They are now waiting with bated breath to see whether the drop in viewers on the night itself will be offset by an increase in fans watching Strictly via iPlayer, but those figures take days and weeks to compile.
‘These live figures are hugely important for the Beeb as Strictly is still seen as one of the few programmes that offers a shared TV experience, where people come together to watch a programme at a set time.’
A BBC A spokesperson told MailOnline: ‘Overnights no longer accurately reflects all the people watching in an on-demand world.’
Fans expressed their disappointment when they took to X, formerly Twitter, between the launch show earlier this month and the live show on Saturday
The dance competition has been hit by a wave of scandals in recent months, with Giovanni Pernice coming under scrutiny after his partner Amanda Abbington accused him of abuse.
Graziano Di Prima was fired following reports that he verbally and physically abused Zara McDermott during rehearsals
The Strictly scandal broke in January when actress Amanda Abbington accused her Strictly partner Giovanni Pernice of assault after she unexpectedly quit the show after just five weeks.
Sherlock actress Amanda, 50, has made a series of allegations about Giovanni’s teaching methods and has described his behavior as “unnecessary, insulting, cruel and mean.” He strongly denies all allegations.
In July it was revealed that Graziano Di Prima had been sacked from Strictly for ‘kicking’ his partner, Love Island star Zara McDermott.
On Saturday, judge Shirley Ballas apologised after shocking the audience by kissing fellow judge Motsi Mabuse during the first live show on Saturday night.
The 64-year-old dance expert was advising Olympic swimmer Tom Dean and his dance partner Nadiya Bychkova on their tango performance when she gave an impromptu demonstration.
Shirley explained that the style was ‘all in the attitude’ and asked Motsi to help her illustrate this point.
Anton Du Beke encouraged them as she shouted ‘keep going girls’ – just as Shirley moved her head in a certain direction and accidentally touched her lips to Motsi’s.
Shirley broke her silence on Instagram on Sunday morning after the show, joking: ‘Sorry @motsimabuse you moved your head too fast! @bbcstrictly what did you think of last night’s show?’
Strictly returned for a 20th season, avoiding the bullying scandal, with fan favourites Amy Dowden and Aljaz Škorjanec making their return.
The BBC dance show has had a tough year after several previous contestants alleged abuse by professional dancers.
Fans were thrilled when Amy returned to the dance floor for a stunning waltz with her partner, JLS star JB.
Meanwhile, Aljaz teamed up with his partner Tasha Ghouri to perform an equally incredible routine, wowing the judges with a gleeful Cha Cha.
Surprisingly, Zara, who was at the centre of the scandal, was one of the stars in the audience, attending the show to support her boyfriend Pete Wicks.
Amy, 34, made a glorious comeback and told presenter Claudia: ‘I’m so happy I could burst’ after scoring a whopping 31 points on the dance floor.
On Saturday, judge Shirley Ballas apologized after shocking the audience by kissing fellow judge Motsi Mabuse during the first live show
The crowd favourite sang a moving waltz to Leo Sayer’s When I Need You, leaving both the judges and fans emotional.
Last week’s ratings showed 5.5 million viewers watching a series of celebrities teaming up with professional dancers, down from 6.2 million in 2023.
The BBC avoided any mention of the series’ string of scandals in the opening episode.
Hosts Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly enthusiastically introduced this year’s celebrities and announced which dancers they would be paired with. However, last year’s controversies remained unmentioned.