Former Strictly Come Dancing contestant Reverend Richard Coles has said he was warned the show has a “dark heart” amid allegations about the treatment of contestants on the BBC show.
Love Island star Zara McDermott, 27, has opened up about her time on the BBC One programme following the exit of her former professional partner Graziano Di Prima.
She said videos of "particular incidents" are "incredibly distressing" to watch and she was previously reluctant to speak out because she feared "public backlash" and "victim shaming".
There have also been allegations about the teaching methods of professional dancer Giovanni Pernice, which he denies.
Rev Coles, who appeared on the show in 2017, when he was partnered with Dianne Buswell, said few people involved in the show have been surprised by the allegations.
He told Times Radio: "I remember somebody who worked on the show for years and years telling me: 'Strictly is a wonderful show with a dark heart.' And I never really understood what that meant, but perhaps one of the things that meant is what you don't see, which is how intensely competitive it is.
"And also, I think the fact that it's so important to the BBC, how much effort goes into maintaining the glitter on the glitter ball.
"All human experience is mixed, we know that. Introduce that element of competition to it - it's a career-making or a career-breaking experience for some people - and you can understand why the smile perhaps gets a little fixed and the glitter a little bit shiny."
Another unnamed celebrity contestant also told the broadcaster they had also suffered poor treatment on the show, but that they were afraid to speak out for consequences on their career.
“Strictly is completely different to what comes across on TV. There’s a culture of exploitation and embarrassment,” they claimed.
“Rather than a case of a few bad apples, it’s a systemic problem.”
Dame Esther Rantzen, who appeared on the second series of the show with Anton du Beke, said the show has become a "sacred cow".
She told Times Radio: "It's become much more dancey. It's become much more professionalised... It's become technically much more difficult and it's become much more of a competition.
"And I can understand why producers want the dance to be lovely, but actually, this is an entertainment show about amateurs."
She added: "The only worry I have is why it took so long for these complaints to surface. And if I were a producer, and I have been a producer in my time, that's the question I would be asking myself with a bit of concern.
"I'm sure the steps they've taken will be effective, but they do need to ask themselves why nobody dares make a complaint when things go wrong."
Asked why she thinks it might be, Dame Esther said: "I think it's become a sacred cow. I think it's become an iconic programme and I think everybody has inflated it beyond its worth."
The corporation has announced "additional steps to strengthen welfare and support" on the popular BBC series, after concerns "have arisen in recent months" that are "fundamentally about training and rehearsals".
A member of the production team will now be present "at all times" during training room rehearsals and there will be a celebrity welfare producer and a professional dancer welfare producer.
A BBC spokesman said: “We will always listen if people want to make us aware of something or raise it with us directly.”
