Strictly’s Toyah Wilcox, 66, says she’s ‘prepared to go above and beyond her comfort zone’ as she vows to take the show ‘very seriously’ in light of the recent bullying allegations

Toyah Wilcox has revealed that the recent scandals surrounding Strictly have made her take the show ‘very seriously’.

The 66-year-old 1980s pop star is willing to “step outside her comfort zone” and “push her boundaries.”

Toyah is the oldest contestant on this year’s Strictly Come Dancing and will enter the ballroom next week with a professional partner.

When asked by the press whether the recent scandals surrounding the BBC One programme had made her doubt whether she should sign up, the It’s A Mystery singer said: ‘It made me take it very seriously.

“What happened in the past year is because this show is 100 percent focused on dance.

The 80s pop star is willing to ‘step outside her comfort zone’ and ‘push herself beyond her limitations’

‘And you have to step outside your own comfort zone.

‘And that’s always been very clear. And I know what happened this year, I’ve been thinking, now I can push myself beyond my own limitations.

“And for me, it’s now or never. It’s that simple. That’s what made me commit to the show.”

Toyah’s comments come after the BBC’s flagship programme was rocked by allegations of “bullying” and abuse against two of her former dancers, Graziano Di Prima and Giovanni Pernice.

Graziano, 30, has admitted kicking his partner and Love Island star Zara McDermott during training.

Giovani’s partner Amanda Abbington has accused the Italian dancer of bullying her during rehearsals while the cameras were off. He strongly denies this.

Nick Knowles, 61, a high-profile participant in the scandal, also said: ‘We are all starting our journey and we can only speak about what we are experiencing now.

‘There is a great support team, everything is there, both mentally and physically, to take care of us.

Toyah is the oldest contestant on this year’s Strictly Come Dancing and will enter the ballroom with a professional partner next week

When asked if the recent scandals made her hesitate to sign up, Toyah said: ‘It made me take what happened very seriously. What has happened in the last year is because this show is 100 percent dedicated to dance’

She added: ‘You have to push yourself beyond your own personal comfort zone. And that’s always been very clear. I know what happened this year, I thought, now I can push myself beyond my own limitations.’

Toyah’s comments come after the BBC’s flagship programme was rocked by allegations of “bullying” and abuse from two of its former dancers, Graziano Di Prima (left) and Giovanni Pernice (right).

Also asked about the scandal, 61-year-old celebrity contestant Nick Knowles said: ‘We’re all starting our journey and we can only speak about what we’re facing now’

When asked what it’s been like having chaperones at rehearsals so far, 39-year-old celebrity contestant Shayne Ward told reporters: ‘You can’t see them, but they’re there.’

“We have physical therapists and people we can talk to when we’re feeling down. And historically it’s great that people are being listened to.”

For this year’s 20th season, BBC bosses announced new healthcare protocols.

The new measures include having a production team member present in the training room during rehearsals and increased support for celebrity contestants and professional dancers.

A Celebrity Welfare Producer and a Professional Dancer Welfare Producer will each be appointed to carry out these additional duties. Additional training will also be provided for the production team and crew.

When asked how having chaperones present during rehearsals has worked so far, celebrity contestant Shayne Ward (39) told the press: ‘You can’t see them, but they’re there.

‘If you ever need them, just call and they’ll be there.’

‘If you need that duty of care, or if you are struggling with something, are concerned about something, or are just looking for a chat, they are there.

‘They’re not on your shoulder, but somewhere in a corner.’