Anton Du Beke reportedly dragged into Strictly ‘misconduct’ probe after offensive comment

The ballroom dancer is being pulled up for comments he made about his dance partner in 2009.

The 57-year-old is bracing himself for a legal complaint after his former dance partner Laila Rouass lodged a complaint about his conduct to her lawyers.

Professional dancers Graziano Di Prima and Giovanni Pernice have both reportedly been axed from the show following multiple complaints made against the dancers.

Last week, reality star and former contestant Zara McDermott confirmed that Di Prima was abusive towards her during her time on the show.

The Italian dancer reportedly kicked and hit the Love Island star during their training sessions.

Pernice was let go from the show after allegations of misconduct were made by his former dance partner and actress Amanda Abbington.

In a statement on Instagram, Zara said her experience on Strictly was magical but her experience inside the training room was different.

"Reports have been made about my treatment on the show and there were witnesses to some events, as well as videos of particular incidents which are incredibly distressing to watch.

"I have wrestled with the fear of opening up – I was scared about public backlash. I was scared about my future and victim-shaming," she added.

"But after a lot of conversations with those I love, I’ve gained the strength to face these fears, and when I asked to speak to the BBC, I spoke candidly about my time on the show."

Zara added that our society’s culture makes it incredibly hard for victims to speak up.

"The culture within our society makes it difficult for people to speak up, especially in a world where social media opinions and voices are so loud."

Now, The Mirror reports that actress Laila Roussa has named Du Beke to lawyers Carter Ruck and claims that the 57-year-old said that she looked like "a P*ki" after a spray tan while they appeared on the seventh series of the hit show.

Du Beke issued an apology for his hurtful and offensive comments at the time, stating: "I must say immediately and categorically that I am not a racist and that I do not use racist language. During the course of rehearsals Laila and I have exchanged a great deal of banter entirely in jest, and two weeks ago there was an occasion when this term was used between the two of us.

He added: "There was no racist intent whatsoever but I accept that it is a term which causes offence and I regret my use of it, which was done without thought or consideration of how others would react. I apologise unreservedly for any offence my actions might have caused."

The Mirror claims that Roussa's legal team are considering making an official complaint to the BBC in the coming days.

Du Beke's involvement in the probe makes him the fourth person for the show to face allegations of misconduct in recent weeks.

These new allegations will intensify pressure on the BBC, who have seen their flagship entertainment show come under scrutiny after Amanda Abbington revealed she had suffered PTSD after taking part with Giovanni Pernice.

The BBC have outlined plans to introduce chaperones to training sessions so the celebrities won’t be alone with their dancer partners in future.

Many fear the current scandal could be the beginning of the end for the dance show.