Strictly 2026 : It’s Emma, Josh and JoJo

[EineReiseDurchDieZeit]

First thread of the year! Let us reconvene here for further discussions

It’s coming from @celebagent

I'm afraid I do know because I've had direct dealings with her. She could be in a room full of cute puppies and rainbow balloons and people singing her praises and still decide it was somehow an attempt to get at her. She was a beautiful dancer but behind the scenes she was complaining constantly about how Giovannis treated her and how miserable she was, but then telling Giovanni in messages and to his face that everything was great. I hope she's in a better place now.

I'd probably tell Giovanni I was fine too. I wouldn't want to deal with his strops.

Amanda does seem a bit spiky but she shouldn't have been treated like she was.

I don't think anyone needs to be told that ' I want to fuck you' is highly inappropriate.

I’ve read 2 of the DM articles and Gio’s side is very different to Amanda’s.

He said she set the tone.

"PressReader.com | GIOVANNI’S STRICTLY TORMENT" https://www.pressreader.com/uk/the-scottish-mail-on-sunday/20260823/281535117835544

Okay. In fairness, Gio claims she called him a cunt, knobhead and dickface.

He also says she was inconsistent, as in sent him positive WhatsApp messages.

"PressReader.com | Gio­vanni: what REALLY happened between me and Amanda" https://www.pressreader.com/uk/daily-mail/20260822/281483578225793

Sorry, this is part one.
The link in post above this one is part two.
Below is part three.

In short, he says Amanda did call him the above names but context is banter messages. They called each other cunts allegedly but jokingly. He also says she kept telling him to his face that things were fine. Wheels came off when she asked for a new partner.
And escalated when that was refused, she was not going to be on the tour and not invited back for the final.

"PressReader.com | Con­fes­sions of Strictly’s ITALIAN STALLION" https://www.pressreader.com/uk/scottish-daily-mail/20260824/281900190057044
Glosses over Laura and Ranvir. No mention in this extract of Richie at all.

Amanda's response to all that...
"He is grossly mischaracterising what happened to suit his own narrative."

So no, eine in the absence of actually seeing the training footage, the report and the messages/evidence the investigators were privy to, it does continue to be she said, he said.
Still most odd, if the training/interactions were filmed and he had a paper trail of messages.
I do note - in the extract at least - he does not account for the alleged crotch grab/want to fuck you comment.
But yeah. Not sure how differently it all could have been handled. He also said she requested him as a partner initially. Which would have made it more disappointing for both, I guess.
He also claims she was doing interviews and he was remaining tight-lipped but iirc his side was leaking stuff through the Mail, hers through the Sun.
Same year of course that Zara was going through it with Graz. She is now seeing Louis Tomlinson and they are loved up, which is nice to read.

Yes it has always been he said, she said which is why I chose to describe them evenly. We’ll never really know. She DID get compo though!

Facebook is full of comments from grown women who fancy Giovanni calling Amanda the most terrible names. Most of them come across like unhinged Directioners or Beliebers.

5 figures.
However, cannot begin to imagine how much legal costs were and if the figure she has been given begins to cover it.
Gio had Carter Ruck. £££££££ again, unless Beeb agreed something on the side with him then costs will have been extortionate.
I believe her. And Laura. And Ranvir.
Laura's complaints go back well before this.
However...as any teacher will tell you, being told to adjust your teaching for a student/to meet their needs/to both level up and get the results that matches potential whilst simultaneously dumbing down/laying off the pressure...is always going to be rough.

Well yes. We saw that with how people responded to Zara. She was right to fear a backlash. And she played the party line bless her and suffered in silence. For which she was admonished - victim blaming.
Trauma responses include flight, freeze and fawn. The last one does not mean the trauma isn't happening, just that you are trying your best to minimise it and appease your aggressor.

Woulda, shoulda, woulda
Thinking about it, I think Gio should have just done 10 til 1 training, and then either called her out on it live or on ITT or just leaked it. Pretty sure we were told Jerry Hall liked high tea, Peter Andre barely rehearsed one week and Sunetra was often busy filming.
3 hours of training rather than 7 would have meant less polish but I thought they'd put in a max no. of hours many moons ago.
Gio will be doing his third series of Italian having come first then runner up last year. In the above final article, he says he chose between the Italian version and ours years back but picked Strictly as they offered more money.
In the meantime AJ "hey Trish!" has made it to the final four for DWTS Next Pro 😁 All episodes are on Disney Plus for those interested.

Is there a launch show date yet?

Sat 19 th and then live th following week .

Yes. Prerecorded Launch show 19th September. First live show 26th.

Well Well Well

“In a major format change for the long-running show, celebrity contestants will now discover their professional dance partners live in front of a studio audience through three specially choreographed group dance routines rather than via pre-recorded segments”

I approve!

Excellent. Much prefer the studio based introductions, hated the cringe VT ones.

@gingercat02 All the screaming and pretend shock was wearisome

It’s being filmed on Wednesday 9th so we may get some updates soon.

Do we need a SPOILER thread?

I will be doing a mix of weekly threads and continuing threads depending on the post count in the thread. A small but very vocal minority didn’t like the weekly thread but lots of people did because the time was always in the title! Can’t please everyone

OK - so they're going back to being paired up live. There will still be screaming and fake shock and delight.

Hmmm there is that I suppose ! I do hate it.

Are they making the 3 presenters dance their way on, in a bigger way than Claud who used to halfarse it I wonder?

I see Maura Higgins .(love island) is on Dancing with the stars this year, i guess she is their "kim kardashians hairdresser" 😂