ITV bosses take drastic action as Dancing On Ice stars receive 'warning'

As Dancing connected Ice gears up to marque a instrumentality to screens astatine the commencement of adjacent year, definite payment protocols person been expanded to support celebrities starring successful the caller series

Producers of ITV's Dancing connected Ice person reportedly created a 24-hour hotline for stars to rise concerns successful the aftermath of Strictly’s bullying scandal.

According to reports from The Sun, TV insiders said programme bosses who enactment connected the Sunday nighttime amusement had besides sent its 12 celebrities a six-page missive informing them they tin talk retired "without fearfulness of abuse".

In summation to this, the celebrities starring successful adjacent year's series, which volition besides spot Holly Willoughby, 43, instrumentality arsenic host, volition beryllium assigned a shaper to guarantee that their "wellbeing" is kept successful check.

The quality comes aft BBC's Strictly Come Dancing was deed with bullying claims earlier this twelvemonth owed to the ungraded involving pro dancer Giovanni Pernice and histrion Amanda Abbington. Following connected from this, the BBC sacked pro Graziano Di Prima for kicking TV property Zara McDermott.

An insider told The Sun: "ITV puts the payment of amusement contestants astatine the bosom of what they do. No 1 needs different Strictly — and Dancing connected Ice bosses privation their stars to consciousness similar they tin talk retired if thing isn’t right.

"They volition person entree to a 24-hour hotline manned by professionals to rise concerns astir immoderate bullying oregon to get assistance with their intelligence health."

The root went connected to stock that the celebs are blessed to enactment successful the caller procedures and added: "They person besides been fixed a missive outlining what they should expect from the amusement and however they should behaviour themselves. This year’s celebs person said they admit the measures. To cognize they person enactment similar this is reassuring."

The missive which was reportedly obtained by The Sun besides warns the stars that the amusement could permission them "physically and mentally drained". It besides states: "Winning should ne'er travel astatine the disbursal of integrity and respect."

The Mirror has contacted ITV for comment. The broadcaster has made it wide that the extended payment protocols person been successful spot connected the amusement crossed caller bid and it has been "expanded upon arsenic opposed to america introducing thing wholly new".

Strictly Come Dancing has been plagued with antagonistic quality this twelvemonth but Dancing connected Ice has besides had its just stock of ungraded successful the past. In July erstwhile TV presenter Micheal Barrymore claimed helium witnessed dancers being abused connected the ITV show.

He said: "I find it bewildering that BBC’s Strictly is the lone accumulation nether occurrence . . . erstwhile ITV’s Dancing connected Ice treated their celebrities and dancers precisely the aforesaid — if not worse. Even I witnessed maltreatment from producers astatine ITV and I had a precise abbreviated stint with them.”

However, astatine the time, a spokesperson for ITV deed backmost and said: "We bash not recognise these unsubstantiated claims."

Dancing connected Ice returns to ITV adjacent year. Holly volition instrumentality arsenic presenter alongside her co-host Stephen Mulhern.