Annabel Croft claims Strictly Come Dancing co-star was reduced to tears over 'stress'

Tennis champion Annabel Croft was a contestant connected Strictly Come Dancing successful 2023 - the aforesaid twelvemonth allegations of behind-the-scenes maltreatment began to trickle from the shadows

Annabel Croft has revealed 1 of her Strictly Come Dancing co-stars was reduced to tears owed to the accent of making the deed show.

In caller years, a acheronian unreality has drawn implicit the BBC's long-running creation competition - with stars exiting amid allegations of abusive behaviour. Former victor Giovanni Pernice did not instrumentality successful 2024 aft his 2023 personage co-star Amanda Abbington accused him of abusive behaviour behind-the-scenes - accusations helium denied and the BBC yet cleared him pursuing an interior investigations.

Similarly, Graziano Di Prima did not instrumentality successful 2024 aft allegations emerged that helium had been abusive to his 2023 personage co-star, Love Island's Zara McDermott - and helium yet admitted helium did footwear her during rehearsals. And it seems determination could person been adjacent much hostility behind-the-scenes during the 2023 play arsenic tennis icon Annabel has present shared immoderate insights of her own.

The 58-year-old sports prima was paired with Johannes Radebe during play 21 of the amusement - and unneurotic the made it to the semi-finals earlier luck ran retired and they were booted from the contest. But is sounds similar Annabel would person been capable to bask beingness with a fewer little tears arsenic she painted a bleak representation of the participants' acquisition connected the show.

The Sun reports her telling an assemblage successful London this week: “There is simply a batch of accent down the scenes. You were rehearsing adjacent doorway to assorted couples and would spot doors being slammed and idiosyncratic moving disconnected down the roadworthy and tons of tears.” The Mirror has contacted the BBC for comment.

When she appeared connected the BBC show, Annabel revealed she had decided to motion up to the bid arsenic a mode of honouring her precocious husband, sailor Mel Coleman - who died earlier that year. She was past moved to tears erstwhile her Strictly travel began arsenic she struggled with the cognition she would ne'er spot him watching her successful the unrecorded workplace audience.

She told the Daily Mail: “So I conscionable sat and cried. Mel was my biggest supporter, my protector. He gave maine confidence. He made things right, ever had done. I wanted to speech to him. I wanted to say: ‘I americium truly tense for tomorrow, but I don’t person you to marque it OK.’

“I was astir to spell retired successful beforehand of millions of radical and beryllium jolly and blessed but I was sobbing, thinking: ‘I don’t cognize wherever you are, Mel. Where person you gone?’.”

When she was voted disconnected the show, Annabel explained that she had enjoyed her clip successful the ballroom. She gushed; "It's been the astir life-changing and bonzer acquisition of my life. I person to congratulate Bobby and Dianne and each the contestants that took portion successful it. But obviously, it’s been an amazing, magical acquisition for me."

Lavishing Johannes with praise, Annabel said: "You person been perfectly extraordinary. You person fixed maine a crushed to get retired of furniture and travel and creation with you, distract maine and to heal me. I can’t convey you capable for that. You person been truthful patient, truthful caring and truthful loving. You are an unbelievably peculiar quality being. I simply adore you. Thank you truthful much."

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