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Original poster

Rachel Riley now reported to have got PTSD from Strictly too

252 replies

chachacharcoal · 02/04/2024 18:44

Both the Daily Mail and the Mirror are now reporting that Rachel Riley also claims to have developed PTSD after doing Strictly. She went on to marry her partner though so he doesn't seem to have been the problem. One of the articles is also claiming she says that many of the other former contestants she's spoken to since doing the show have shared similar experiences. I was surprised by some of the vitriol Amanda Abington got for saying similar but I do realise most people have a fairly basic understanding of trauma. Anyone else very interested in this story?

Faye Tozer is also being reported to have had a negative experience with Giovanni. But the word trauma hasn't been used in that story as far as I'm aware.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13262881/Rachel-riley-strictly-come-dancing-ptsd-amanda-abbington-exit.html

https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/rachel-riley-reveals-bbc-strictly-32493863

Rachel Riley says Strictly left her with PTSD and calls for show therapy

Countdown star Rachel Riley has revealed she was left with PTSD after appearing on Strictly Come Dancing as she calls for therapy for its contestants following Amanda Abbington's experience

https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/rachel-riley-reveals-bbc-strictly-32493863

OP posts:
Thread gallery
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Pieceofpurplesky · 02/04/2024 21:31

Surely they must expect that it will be physically and mentally challenging? And that they will be pushed to excel by their partner? Rachel Riley seems to jump on anything for attention though, so less inclined to listen to her than others.

Amanda Abingdon was having major stresses from the trans community over comments she made and that couldn't have helped.

PBandJ111 · 02/04/2024 21:40

PTSD…. Really….

user1471517095 · 02/04/2024 21:41

I'm more likely to think Rachel Rileys now ex Husband got PTSD from Strictly, watching it all play out for the cameras.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

TV
illbehonestnow · 02/04/2024 21:43

It's not 'now;'

She spoke about this way before the Amanda Abington thing.

m00ngirl · 02/04/2024 21:46

There's a big difference between "a shit time" and "PTSD"

Alaina7 · 02/04/2024 21:49

Isn’t Rachel Riley just a bit of a drama queen in general tho?

Paninaro94 · 02/04/2024 21:51

If it was that bad, would she have left her husband for her dance partner?

BeautyGoesToBenidorm · 02/04/2024 21:55

I cannot stand her. As a fellow Jewish woman, living with C-PTSD from a lifetime of abuse, she really fucks me off.

isitbananatimealready · 02/04/2024 22:00

Competing in an ice-skating competition on the telly = trauma? I don't think so.
Confused

catinthetinhat · 02/04/2024 22:17

Artem Chigvintsev was the same apparently. It went beyond being challenged. It was more like abuse I believe.

illbehonestnow · 02/04/2024 22:26

isitbananatimealready · 02/04/2024 22:00

Competing in an ice-skating competition on the telly = trauma? I don't think so.
Confused

Strictly isn't an ice dancing show.

illbehonestnow · 02/04/2024 22:28

catinthetinhat · 02/04/2024 22:17

Artem Chigvintsev was the same apparently. It went beyond being challenged. It was more like abuse I believe.

https://closeronline.co.uk/celebrity/news/fern-brittons-shocking-abuse-claims-strictlys-artem-kick-shove/

Fern never did seem that happy on the show. I remember her surviving the judges vote and being asked about how she felt staying for another week and saying something along the lines of "well I've got rather a lot of ironing to do at home".

Strictly’s Artem Chigvintsev denies Fern Britton’s shocking abuse claims

The former This Morning presenter, who appeared on the 2012 series of Strictly...

https://closeronline.co.uk/celebrity/news/fern-brittons-shocking-abuse-claims-strictlys-artem-kick-shove

Original poster
chachacharcoal · 02/04/2024 22:29

I didn't realise she'd spoken out previously illbehonestnow - did she say something at the time? I also didn't realise she left her ex for her dance partner. I don't watch strictly and just saw it as a harmless dance show until recently and all this coming out about it has intrigued me.

Can you link to what this Artem said catinthetinhat?

OP posts:
Original poster
chachacharcoal · 02/04/2024 22:30

Thanks illbehonestnow - I'll have a read of that!

OP posts:
Bluevelvetsofa · 02/04/2024 22:38

If all these people are saying they suffered at the hands of their partners on SCD, why were the majority of them regularly saying they were having a wonderful time and didn’t want to be eliminated.

I can see that Giovanni and Artem are probably hard taskmasters, but many of the pros are very much liked by their partners.

There are bound to be times when the pros and their partners don’t get on, but I’m not convinced they're all suffering from PTSD. Rachel Riley can’t surely claim that based on SCD, when she left her then husband for her partner and subsequently married him. Pasha seems like a more gentle character.

illbehonestnow · 02/04/2024 22:46

Bluevelvetsofa · 02/04/2024 22:38

If all these people are saying they suffered at the hands of their partners on SCD, why were the majority of them regularly saying they were having a wonderful time and didn’t want to be eliminated.

I can see that Giovanni and Artem are probably hard taskmasters, but many of the pros are very much liked by their partners.

There are bound to be times when the pros and their partners don’t get on, but I’m not convinced they're all suffering from PTSD. Rachel Riley can’t surely claim that based on SCD, when she left her then husband for her partner and subsequently married him. Pasha seems like a more gentle character.

"If all these people are saying they suffered at the hands of their partners on SCD, why were the majority of them regularly saying they were having a wonderful time and didn’t want to be eliminated."

I'm not in the business, but I'm going to suggest it's because they were being paid to be there? You don't bite the hand that feeds you.

Singleandproud · 02/04/2024 22:48

The world of competitive dance that the pros have been in and the training they received as young children and become normalised isn't going to be too far from abuse for some of them and they now live and breath it as adults and assume their non-competitive partners to do the same.

I had a family member on there that did well, they enjoyed the show, lost a load of weight. What they found more challenging was the press intrusion that followed them including camping out at very normal other family members houses to catch a snap. Their day job didn't bring that type of attention unless at specific events where they were prepared for it.

RubyTuesday10 · 02/04/2024 22:48

Presumably she’s been diagnosed with it. I think doing the show must be extremely stressful to be honest. The standard they’re expected to produce after just a few days’ training is incredible and must only be achieved through hours and hours of physical and mental effort alongside all their normal daily demands. Then there’s the enormous pressure of performing on the day. I can imagine that it would take its toll to be fair. They’re only people at the end of the day.

Bluevelvetsofa · 02/04/2024 22:49

You might bite the hand that feeds you if you feel you're being traumatised.

illbehonestnow · 02/04/2024 22:51

Bluevelvetsofa · 02/04/2024 22:49

You might bite the hand that feeds you if you feel you're being traumatised.

On live TV? Which was your example? Absolutely give over. You'd probably be in breach of contract, for a start.

Lucythecleaner · 02/04/2024 22:52

PTSD is thrown around like anything these days. Ask a soldier that has gone to war and seen people blown to shreds what PTSD is! I'm not suggesting it's just soldiers that go through PTSD but going on a dance show definitely wouldn't be a situation that I think PTSD would exist

SophiaElise · 02/04/2024 22:57

Most people have no idea what true PTSD looks like. It's like David Beckham and his cans in fridge "OCD" a few years ago. He was rightly criticised then but if he said that now he'd be invited to a mental health podcast.

Bluevelvetsofa · 02/04/2024 22:58

This all started because one person suddenly left the 2023 series and claimed PTSD. She was probably in breach of contract, but the entire fall out from this has been about how she was treated and by whom.

Getouterear · 02/04/2024 22:59

I'm sure the affair only added to the stress of the situation.

I imagine it's quite terrifying to be on the show and it puts you under a lot of pressure. It just doesn't feel in any way on a par with being caught up in a terrorist attack or being in a serious car accident for me. There are levels of trauma and this is surely not at the top.