The prime time BBC show, Strictly Come Dancing, is currently embroiled in a significant controversy following allegations of bullying and a toxic work environment. Reports have surfaced from celebrity contestants and crew members claiming abuse and mistreatment from some professional dancers and production staff.
The controversy began in October 2023 when actress Amanda Abbington withdrew from the show, citing “personal reasons.” She later revealed she had experienced difficulties with her professional partner, Giovanni Pernice, and had been diagnosed with PTSD. In January 2024, Abbington requested rehearsal footage, leading to an investigation into Pernice’s teaching methods. Pernice denied any abusive behavior but was not included in the 2024 line-up.
Around the same time, Graziano Di Prima was also accused of mistreatment by his celebrity dance partner, Zara McDermott. It was alleged that Di Prima had kicked his partner during a training-room session. At the time he apologised for his behaviour, which he said he “deeply regretted”. “My intense passion and determination to win might have affected my training regime,” he said. But since his exit Di Prima has cast doubt on how the incident was portrayed and is seeking to challenge his “dismissal.”
The Times reported last week that lawyers acting on behalf of Di Prima have made a GDPR subject access request to the BBC for all evidence related to the “decision to sack” the former Strictly Come Dancing professional. They have asked to see “all internal BBC correspondence related to the issue, including emails and text messages”. The information is likely to be used to allow Di Prima’s legal team to assess the strength of the legal grounds to challenge his alleged dismissal.
The Article 15 Right of Subject Access allows data subjects to see what personal data is held about them, how it is being processed and precisely who it is being shared with. In 2023, Dame Alison Rose, the then CEO of NatWest, resigned after Nigel Farage made a subject access request which disclosed information that contradicted the bank’s justification for downgrading his account.
In the present case the emails and text messages requested by Di Prima’s legal team will do doubt include lots of personal data about third parties including contestants and production staff. Part 3 of Schedule 2 of the Data Protection Act 2018 states that the GDPR Subject Access right “does not oblige a Data Controller to disclose information to the data subject to the extent that doing so would involve disclosing information relating to another individual who can be identified from the information.” However, disclosure is still required if the other individual has consented, or it is “reasonable” to disclose the information without consent. In determining what is reasonable, the controller must have regard to all the relevant circumstances including, amongst other things, the type of information that would be disclosed and any duty of confidentiality owed to the other individuals.
It will be interesting to know the outcome of Di Prima’s subject access request. Will it be a slow waltz towards litigation, or will the BBC be able to cha-cha away from legal liability?
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