Since making its dazzling debut in 2004, Strictly Come Dancing has established itself as a beloved fixture on the BBC One schedule. Celebrating its 20th series this year, the show continues to captivate millions of fans who eagerly watch the celebrity contestants strut their stuff every weekend, aiming to impress both judges and audiences with their dance routines.
However, it hasn't all been sequins and salsa for the popular series; the programme has faced its share of controversies, including accusations of bullying and some romantic drama behind the scenes.
These incidents have not escaped the notice of dedicated Strictly fans, with some taking action by lodging their concerns with the broadcasting watchdog Ofcom.
Presented here are five of the most contentious Strictly moments that have sparked debate and stirred dismay amongst the audience.
Steve Allen's 'chubby' comment
Notably, LBC radio host Steve Allen caused quite an uproar after he labelled 2021 participant Tilly Ramsay as a "chubby little thing" during his broadcast. The Daily Record reports this gaffe garnered over 800 objections to Ofcom and led to Allen reportedly issuing a private apology to Tilly, Gordon Ramsay's daughter.
Robbie Savage's 'crotch' performance
Next on the list is Robbie Savage's infamous crotch stunt, which drew 325 Ofcom complaints. The ex-footballer, partnered with Ola Jordan, stirred up a storm when he performed to Michael Jackson's 'Bad' and infamously jumped onto the judges' table, gyrating before executing a shocking crotch grab.
Reflecting on the incident, Savage told Digital Spy, "I've had a bit of bad press this week. It's really got me down because, you know, during my football career, people said some pretty nasty things about me. And I've just gone out there... If I offended anyone, I didn't mean to. I just went out there to have fun, and surely that's what it's all about?"
Same-sex dance
Further controversy surrounded the 2020 series due to approximately 200 complaints reported by OK! over a same-sex dance featuring Graziano Di Prima and Johannes Radebe. Moreover, an announcement that Katya Jones would be partnering with Nicola Adams also provoked over 100 complaints for breaching the traditional male-female dancing format.
That year's controversies didn't stop there; a drag act masterpiece celebrating Musicals Week with a rendition of Priscilla Queen of the Desert similarly prompted in excess of 100 objections.
Voting mishap
The semi-final of 2008 also faced backlash due to a voting fiasco. After Rachel Stevens and Lisa Snowdon tied at the top of the leaderboard, votes for Tom Chambers, who was third, became irrelevant. This led to close to 200 viewers reaching out to Ofcom in frustration.
Bruno breast 'grab'
Lastly, Bruno Tonioli's mishap, known colloquially as the 'breast grab,' rounds off the notable controversies.
A past incident has also come under scrutiny, in which Shirley Ballas was made to feel uneasy when her breasts were 'groped' by Bruno Tonioli during a live show in 2017. The moment sparked 20 complaints to Ofcom after it left viewers and co-host Tess Daly taken aback.
A source revealed to The Mirror: "The BBC has now received formal complaints and will be officially looking into them to decide whether Bruno's behaviour was acceptable. He obviously thought it was light-hearted fun, but you could tell Tess was shocked by her reaction. She looked completely aghast."
Strictly Come Dancing airs on Saturday and Sunday night on BBC One and iPlayer
