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Post by marion on Jul 13, 2024 12:31:26 GMT
Graziano has been sacked!!!!!! Apparently it is amidst gross misconduct claims from his time with Zara McDermott. Hence the late recruitment of Aljaz.
Well I’m amazed because I thought they got on really well and he was generally considered a nice guy. I haven’t read much more than a headline though because I must get prepared for the tennis, so no details.
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Post by monic on Jul 13, 2024 13:37:57 GMT
On X
I deeply regret the events that led to my departure from Strictly. My intense passion and determination to win might have affected my training regime. Respecting the BBC HR process, I understand it's best for the show that I step away. While there are aspects of this story involving external influences that I can't discuss at this time, I remain committed to being strong for my family and friends. I wish the Strictly family and the BBC nothing but success in the future. I also want to thank everyone who has supported my career, both professionally and personally. When the time is right, I Will share my story.
It’s getting very boring now that the professionals aren’t allowed to train their partners to a high standard. As a pro dancer / choreographer would you want to produce sub standard routines because the celeb can’t cope.
Not sure the next season will be worth watching at all.
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Post by marion on Jul 13, 2024 15:41:32 GMT
I still think the standard they have to reach is so very high, that the training is commensurately hard, and they are aiming for professional levels of performance. That is almost unachievable in the weeks available, it takes a pro dancer years. This all started when they began to use ringers instead of novices or people with minimal experience. In the early days we thought it was a miracle if they managed a heel turn, now it has to be almost West End ready!😂. I would be happy to watch a competition with good people like Annabel proved to be rather than ringers.
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Post by monic on Jul 13, 2024 16:41:41 GMT
I don’t mind that they start from a basic to nothing level but please do not give us rejected politicians.
They are not celebrities, ex athletes have an advantage as they’re used to training etc.
As you mentioned actors have dance training if they’ve been through RADA
Some of the celebs I don’t know anything about
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Post by marion on Jul 14, 2024 9:14:32 GMT
Some quite nasty details coming out in the press today, although it may be “inside sources” rather than official comment. But you don’t go on the show to be kicked and punched do you? I find that totally amazing, and especially as they maintained contact after the show. That smacks of him being very intimidating. Mind you, I was amazed at the time that James Jordan was allowed to continue when they showed training footage of him with that nurse Ellen from Casualty. He was appalling to her, total verbal abuse. So the show does have previous.
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Post by goodhelenstar on Jul 14, 2024 9:37:50 GMT
I haven't watched Strictly for several years, since it became the juggernaut that it now is. For me the rot set in with John Sergeant – not a criticism of him but of the show's need to be ever more outrageous in order to grow and compete with X Factor or whatever was on the other side at that time.
Now it seems it has become more and more demanding of performances that the celebs don't have the skill or talent to achieve in the time or indeed at all, with the pros competing with each other to get more and more from their pupils. What a shame. I liked it when it was small and charming and it was an achievement to get to the end of a routine without forgetting their steps or falling over.
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Strictly
Jul 14, 2024 13:13:54 GMT
via mobile
Post by beverley61 on Jul 14, 2024 13:13:54 GMT
Hang on a minute, which celebrity is claiming they were kicked and punched.
As I recall Zara shared footage during the show of her skinned toe.
She also shared footage of Graziano shouting and telling her she could have a 60 second break and she was spending 30 seconds on her phone. He also mentioned on the show that she loved her phone. It may have become a big issue.
She also claimed during the show that they had 10 hour rehearsals. What she didn't say was whether that was 10 hours everyday or 10 hours 3 times a week. They will get breaks in that, because we have seen people sitting down for lunch. They also do videos at the zoo etc.
At no time did she pull out and we are not aware that she went to the production team for support.
Judy Love has said she had a great time and she was prepared for long days dancing in a studio. She said there is medical help for blisters, sprains and general first aid. She said you do have to clear your diary for 6 weeks at least and that's just part of being on the show.
Neither Graziano or Giovanni are able for legal reasons to say very much about what has gone on, but if anyone had been kicked or punched they should have gone straight to the producers or better still just phoned the police. On that basis I think we'd better not get into spreading what could be completely inappropriate information. Zara and her boyfriend were meeting up with Graziano and his wife regularly after the show for a meal etc, we know that because she posted photos of them all together. I think she might have told her boyfriend if Graziano had hit her.
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Post by marion on Jul 16, 2024 9:33:41 GMT
Zara has now issued a statement on Insta saying that whilst the show and production staff were lovely etc etc, she had a very different experience within the training room. She was afraid to speak up because of fears of a backlash, which is very sad.
I read somewhere that both Gio and Graz were trained at/with Team Diablo in Bologna, where an extremely hard regimen is/was in place with training up to 12 hours a day. So maybe, if that’s what they came from, that’s what they think training should be like, quite wrongly of course.
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Post by beverley61 on Jul 16, 2024 10:20:50 GMT
Media is reporting that Graziano has returned to Sicily and has said that he is taking legal advice because the BBC offered him no support and no advice on training sessions. There were no guidelines or any training on how to become a teacher. It was just left up to them and they were on their own.
I think he is acknowledging that he has a short fuse and did lose his temper and was demanding, particularly over her constant use of her phone.
Clearly the producers need to do some work here and put in safeguards for everyone. Things like:
Maximum length of training sessions
Specified breaks and rest time
No chit chat on air about professionals being taskmasters, slave-drivers, tough, demanding, etc. which they do a lot as if it is banter. It has become almost a culture to highlight the dancers who are considered to be 'hard' trainers and it is used as a running joke, but it isn't.
Filming of training sessions
Monitoring of social media
Induction training for professionals on how to behave with amateurs
Induction training for celebrities about what will be involved in terms of training, availability and hours
Clear instruction on how to report a concern, including the fact that you are not getting along with your partner for non-specific reasons - e.g. you just don't gel.
First Aid and dance injury personnel available
But mostly recruit celebrities who know what they are getting into even if they're a 59 year old who said yes for a laugh and the dresses etc.
I think behind the scenes has not been the attention of the production team and it should be because other countries have had similar problems.
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Strictly
Jul 16, 2024 13:06:11 GMT
via mobile
Post by vicky on Jul 16, 2024 13:06:11 GMT
"There were no guidelines or any training on how to become a teacher."
That amazes me. I have always assumed the pros who train the celebs had dance teaching qualifications as well as being performing dancers.
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Post by monic on Jul 16, 2024 14:14:44 GMT
You would think that the employer would have done basic GDPR checks, given training guidance, sent the trainers on a basic coaching training course.
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Strictly
Jul 16, 2024 16:18:06 GMT
via mobile
Post by beverley61 on Jul 16, 2024 16:18:06 GMT
I think as we all remember for many years this was a show where complete amateurs came on and had some fun. Occasionally there was someone very good, even excellent. It was light entertainment.
Then we started to get a lot more virtually unknown celebrities. Well known to people who watch shows like Towie etc. but not to anyone else. Plus lots of budding ex stage school much younger people who saw being on Strictly as a career move. Why not, it has been for a number of them. These people don't just come on the show they pump out social media, do podcasts and tiktok. Their was massive ambition here.
The game changed. These people were determined to become popular even if the dancing wasn't all that great.
Then we have dancers who could now make a lot of money with their own tours and shows. Huge life changing opportunities for dancers who had been flogging themselves all year round in shows in a very competitive world. Suddenly they could make money. They could get paid for appearances, invites to the best places.
It all went into overdrive.
We still had people like Hamza and Bill Bailey loving it, naturally gifted and enjoying themselves, but they didn't need the show as much as the show needed them. It's much more different for a 24 year old wannabe presenter, musical theatre hopeful or actor. They see the people who have done well out if it and want that too. What some of them forget is how hard that person worked for it and that perhaps they were better at it anyway.
I think the BBC needs to be much more rigorous in its selection process and it's production process.
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Post by sleepyp on Jul 16, 2024 16:30:22 GMT
She’s doing well from newspaper articles/interviews, her photo everywhere… still don’t quite understand why she was on there, but I’m happily out of touch!
I’m guessing it’s a complex story which shouldn’t be presented as b&w on either side
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Strictly
Jul 16, 2024 18:13:52 GMT
via mobile
Post by beverley61 on Jul 16, 2024 18:13:52 GMT
It does appear that he was horrible to her. I think there is video footage.
It's just that the show has become a bit dog eat dog. If the dancers don't get lots of public votes they get dropped, if the celebs don't risk their lives in even more dangerous lifts everyone gets frantic.
Not us, we comment all the time on the dances that are full of lifts and not a lot of dancing.
They can pull this back, they just need some wholesome celebs with good personalities to get it back on track and give everyone a break.
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Post by marion on Jul 17, 2024 8:45:50 GMT
I said upthread the routines are almost West End ready in some cases, whereas before they were required to master the basic (as Shirley means it) dances. But a lot of this must come from production, perhaps not the specifics of choreography or lifts, but the general ethos of the show needing to be bigger, better, bolder. To an extent this has happened in bake off and sewing bee, moving away from more usual baking and sewing, but of course there is no physical risk there. I wonder if DOI has changed to this extent. They must stop using ringers, because if you are up against one, the only way to win is to push yourself to extremes.
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Anymore to come?
