Strictly returns, but no mention of controversies

Strictly Come Dancing returned to TV screens connected Saturday nighttime with a glittering opening fig - but determination was nary notation of the controversies that person plagued the amusement implicit the summer.

A marque caller acceptable of celebrities deed the dancefloor, arsenic the contention enters its 20th year.

During the motorboat show, it was revealed which nonrecreational dancers they were paired with.

There were besides 5 performances, including 1 to invited backmost dancer Amy Dowden aft she was diagnosed with crab past year.

But the judges, hosts and dancers did not code the allegations a fig of erstwhile contestants person made astir their attraction connected the show.

Actress Amanda Abbington has claimed her erstwhile creation partner's behaviour was "cruel and mean".

Meanwhile, TV prima Zara McDermott said she was progressive successful incidents during grooming that she present finds "incredibly distressing" to ticker back.

The BBC has responded to the complaints by making changes down the scenes. From this year, determination are chaperones successful each rehearsal rooms, and determination are besides 2 caller dedicated payment producers.

It has ever insisted it would ever instrumentality immoderate issues earnestly and enactment erstwhile made alert of inappropriate behaviour.

The caller line-up of celebrities for 2024 was announced successful August, but their creation partners were kept nether wraps until Saturday night.

Here is the database of pairings successful full:

• Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell
• Jamie Borthwick and Michelle Tsiakkas
• JB Gill and Amy Dowden MBE
• Montell Douglas and Johannes Radebe
• Nick Knowles and Luba Mushtuk
• Paul Merson and Karen Hauer
• Pete Wicks and Jowita Przystał
• Punam Krishan and Gorka Márquez
• Tasha Ghouri and Aljaž Škorjanec
• Tom Dean MBE and Nadiya Bychkova
• Toyah Willcox and Neil Jones
• Sam Quek MBE and Nikita Kuzmin
• Sarah Hadland and Vito Coppola
• Shayne Ward and Nancy Xu
• Wynne Evans and Katya Jones

As ever, the motorboat amusement besides included a drawstring of performances, including a regular from the nonrecreational dancers and a Paso Doble performed by the reigning champions from 2023, Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola.

After their performance, Leach gave this year’s contestants immoderate advice: "I’m truthful gladsome to beryllium back. I consciousness astatine location erstwhile I'm here, but I deliberation my proposal is conscionable to instrumentality each infinitesimal successful it goes truthful so fast, truthful conscionable bask it, guys. It's the best, champion clip ever."

The celebratory invited backmost creation for Dowden was different item of the evening.

The 34-year-old nonrecreational dancer, from Caerphilly, was doubly diagnosed with crab past year, and has spoken antecedently of being desperate to instrumentality to the show.

Dowden said she was "delighted" to beryllium backmost successful the ballroom, adding: "It conscionable feels similar my archetypal twelvemonth each implicit again. I conscionable privation JB [Gill] to person the champion clip and autumn successful emotion with dancing."

Her personage dancing spouse Gill added: "She’s superb - positive she’s got acquisition with popstars, truthful I cognize I’m successful bully hands."

Finally, determination was a radical fig successful which the Strictly personage people of 2024 demonstrated their creation skills for the archetypal time.

This year's hosts are unchanged - Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.

There's besides nary alteration to the judges' sheet either. Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke and Head Judge Shirley Ballas were backmost connected the show, watching each measurement taken by the dancers.

The unrecorded shows statesman adjacent week.

This year’s bid volition besides see each the accustomed taxable weeks, including Halloween, Musicals and the Blackpool week.

The BBC's flagship Saturday nighttime TV amusement has deed the headlines for the incorrect reasons successful caller months.

Two dancers person been dropped from the amusement pursuing complaints astir their behaviour and teaching methods successful rehearsals.

In June, it was confirmed that Giovanni Pernice would not instrumentality for the caller series.

It comes aft his erstwhile creation spouse Amanda Abbington made allegations astir however helium treated her connected the show.

Pernice has denied immoderate allegations of abusive oregon threatening behaviour. An investigation, launched by the BBC pursuing the claims, volition reportedly reason soon.

Another nonrecreational dancer, Graziano Di Prima, has besides near the show.

Di Prima's spokesperson admitted to BBC News that helium had kicked his spouse Zara McDermott successful a rehearsal past year.

Other erstwhile personage contestants - TV presenter Laura Whitmore and paralympian Will Bayley - person besides spoken retired astir their experiences connected the show.

Last month, a BBC News investigation heard allegations of a "toxic culture" from immoderate erstwhile inferior unit connected the amusement - though different workers told a affirmative communicative of dancers and unit who were benignant and respectful to them.

But for now, the amusement goes connected - and portion determination was nary notation of the claims successful Saturday's show, the caller contestants, speaking astatine a property lawsuit up of the launch, expressed a tendency to determination on.

Contestant Nick Knowles said: "It's important that radical are listened to, and they person been, truthful that seems to maine each good."

Former Love Islander Tasha Ghouri agreed, saying it was "about moving forward".

"It's astir our ain experiences really," she added.

For more, ticker our iPlayer peculiar - Strictly: The Story Behind the Headlines.