Strictly Come Dancing, Show That Inspired Dancing with the Stars, Hit with Scandal Involving Abuse of Celebs

Dancing with the Stars' predecessor is facing some major backlash.

Strictly Come Dancing, the BBC show that sees U.K. celebrities pair up with professional dancers in the same vein as DWTS, has come under the spotlight recently, prompting the network's boss to apologize to contestants.

On Tuesday, July 23, Tim Davie, the director-general of the BBC, addressed the backlash the show has faced in recent months as the network's annual report was released. He said he's "disappointed" to learn that several celebrities who have appeared on the show have felt abused by their pro partners, calling it "unacceptable behavior" as he noted that "changes" have been made to the show's protocol in light of the allegations.

Those changes include having a member of production in all future Strictly rehearsals, having two dedicated welfare producers on site, as well as additional training for the production team and crew, per BBC.

Davie also confirmed that season 22 of Strictly will air as planned in fall 2024.

PEOPLE has learned that there are already strong safeguarding processes in place on DWTS — which is produced by BBC studios but simulcast on ABC and Disney+ — but additional measures may be implemented ahead of season 33 this fall if needed.

In a statement shared with PEOPLE, BBC Studios said, "As brand guardians for the licensed international forms of Strictly Come Dancing and in addition to our annual Creative Exchange event, all territories regularly share, and deploy, learnings and best practices via BBC Studios' global team of Flying Producers. The new measures being introduced in the UK on Strictly Come Dancing will contribute to this ongoing dialogue and we'll continue to work with local broadcasters to ensure that stringent contributor welfare processes are at the heart of all versions of the show."

PEOPLE has reached out to reps at Dancing with the Stars for comment.

Drama has been brewing behind the scenes since actress Amanda Abbington quit Strictly mid-way through season 21 last year. She then accused her partner Giovanni Pernice of "abusive, cruel and mean" behavior, which prompted another former contestant — Love Island alum Zara McDermott – to speak out.

Abbington, 50, alleged that her experience with Pernice wasn't "isolated," as she told The Sun, "BBC knew about Giovanni's behavior for years, people had complained about him and flagged his behavior to producers in the past and nothing was done."

Pernice issued various denials on Instagram, writing in one that he "reject[s] any suggestion of abusive or threatening behavior" and looks "forward to clearing [his] name."

Days later, Strictly revealed its lineup for the 2024 season, and Pernice was not on the list.

Graziano Di Prima was among the list of the upcoming cast, though, but weeks after the June 10 announcement, he was dismissed from the show following allegations of abusive behavior toward his most recent partner, McDermott.

After Abbington shared her story, McDermott came forward with her own alleged experiences with Di Prima, claiming he kicked her during rehearsals.

Writing in a statement on Instagram that she was "scared about public backlash" ahead of speaking out, per Deadline, the Love Island alum shared that her "experience inside the training room was very different" than her other "amazing" experiences on the show, adding that "there were witnesses to some events as well as videos of particular incidents which are incredibly distressing to watch."

She thanked BBC for its "swift action and incredibly high level of support" since she's spoken out.

A spokesperson for Di Prima confirmed to BBC that he had kicked McDermott, noting that it was an isolated incident. "He knows he's made a mistake. He apologized at the time," the spokesperson said.

In a statement posted on Instagram on July 13, Di Prima wrote, "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."

Noting he'll "share [his] story" when "the time is right," he said he'd "step away" to respect the channel's "HR process."

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