She believes that show bosses sometimes prioritize appearances rather than teaching skills when it comes to hiring professionals and that dancers can be “brutal” to one another behind the scenes. This is something that a former Strictly Come Dancing performer has stated to Sky News.
Katya Virshilas, who participated in three seasons of the popular British Broadcasting Corporation show from 2009 to 2011, stated that the ability to dance professionally and the ability to teach dance are two very distinct qualities.
In addition to highlighting how intensely competitive and stressful the environment may be, she stated that she was of the opinion that strict professionals required further assistance in the event that they had sufficient teaching experience.
The dancer stated that she “100%” could have foreseen a storm that was developing, and she claimed that producers “know everything” because you are “living under a glass house” while working on the show. This statement was made in opposition to the criticism that has surrounded the show.
Virshilas was eager to underline how “rewarding” it is and how unhappy she was to see controversy “overshadow” the series, which had “done so much for dancing.” She was speaking up about her experiences for the first time, and she was eager to highlight how she felt about everything.
On the other hand, she described it as “one of the most difficult and challenging times of my life,” and she also mentioned that being dumped was a challenging experience.
When Virshilas was asked if she had ever been a victim of bullying or witnessed bullying behavior, she responded that she had “experienced bullying from other professionals towards other professionals.”
Even if that was hardly an excuse, she stated, “We are dancers.” The milieu that we are in is one in which dancers may be really cruel to one another, but I suppose that we have become accustomed to it.
On the other hand, she stated that it would be “a whole different, unacceptable level” if professionals were to mistreat star entrants, the vast majority of whom are complete novices.
“It definitely brings to mind the screening procedure that the BBC uses for the instructors’ qualifications. What is the extent of their knowledge about them, and how does this come about?
Virshilas, who currently resides in Hong Kong and is the proprietor of her own dancing school called Ballroom Bees, became a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing for the seventh season, during which she was paired with Phil Tufnell, a cricket player from England.
After that, she went on to dance alongside Gavin Henson, a Welsh rugby player, as well as Dan Lobb, a person who presents television and plays tennis.
“Huge pressure” is what she described the situation as. “It is imperative that you get the celebrity to dance on the show, regardless of what the celebrity is going through or how they are feeling. You are responsible for this.”
It was during one season that she was teamed with Artem Chigvintsev, a former contestant on Strictly Come Dancing, for professional performances. She claims that she did not get along with Chigvintsev.
“The manner in which he dealt with me was not what I had anticipated it to be. You don’t feel like you’re good enough, and you have the pressure of a professional dancer to look a certain way on the show and to conduct yourself in a specific manner. It was a really difficult environment to enter. You anticipated a sense of camaraderie among the other experts, which did not turn out to be very satisfying.
The remarks that TV host Fern Britton made regarding her time on the show in 2012, when she was in a relationship with Chigvintsev, have surfaced in the midst of the scandal that has been going on relatively recently. There are claims that Britton used the term “grim” to describe her experience at numerous points throughout her speech at an event that took place in 2015. The specific event in question took place in 2015.
Chigvintsev would “look at my feet and just kick me or shove me,” she allegedly said, according to people who were present at the conference. This information was provided by those who were present. Even though they “did love each other for a moment or two,” he was not “charm personified.” This is despite the fact that they “did love each other.”
In conclusion, she stated, “I did kind of enjoy it, but at the same time, it was a very unfortunate experience.”
Chigvintsev added that the star’s statements did not align with “any situation I recognize” and that he was taken aback by them. He also stated that he was surprised by them. This statement was written in reaction to magazines and newspapers that were accessible at the time.
He asserted that he’d “treated Fern with respect and genuine care” and that the charges were “the opposite of everything I believe in and the person I am.” He also stated that he believed he had “treated Fern with respect.” Moreover, he added that he was of the opinion that he had respected Fern.
Sky News has attempted to get a comment from Chigvintsev’s representatives in order to gain information regarding the allegations that Virshilas has made.
Due to the fact that additional serious claims have been made against two of the show’s prominent dancers, the executives of the BBC and Strictly Come Dancing have been compelled to face the developing crisis that has surrounded the show in recent weeks.
The professional dancer Graziano Di Prima made the announcement earlier this month that he was leaving the company after allegations were made over his treatment of the reality star and documentary presenter Zara McDermott. These allegations included confirmed accusations that he kicked her while she was practicing.
Later, McDermott stated that she had been afraid to speak up because she was afraid of the potential retribution from the public.
“I deeply regret the events that led to my departure from Strictly,” Di Prima stated in a statement at the time they announced her departure from the show. “My intense passion and determination to win might have affected my training regime.”
His departure came after that of Giovanni Pernice, who departed when actress Amanda Abbington lodged a complaint with the BBC regarding his behavior. His departure came after Julia Roberts’ departure.
During the course of an ongoing inquiry by the BBC, Pernice has categorically refuted her allegations of behavior that is “unnecessary, abusive, cruel, and mean.” He has also stated that he is “looking forward to clearing my name.”
In the time since then, numerous previous candidates, notably the Paralympian Will Bayley, have discussed their bad experiences participating in the competition.