LBC presenter Iain Dale also claimed that he knows the identity of another contestant who felt 'intimidated' by their professional partner. He said: 'I do know somebody that was very intimidated by her dance partner.'
READ MORE:. Have YOU got a story? Email [email protected] Rouass has broken her silence on the ongoing Strictly Come Dancing scandal, after a historic row with her former dance partner Anton Du Beke resurfaced in the wake of the 'abuse' allegations.
The historic row resurfaced last week amid the ongoing barrage of allegations against the show and its professional dancers. But Laila has now come out in defence of Anton, saying she had forgiven him for his past comments, and insisting he had never acted 'physically, emotionally, sexually or verbally' abusive to her at any point.
'I had no intention of making a statement but now feel it's necessary as over the last couple of weeks there have been false accusations, online abuse and harassment aimed at me and my family. But Laila has now come out in defence of Anton, saying she had forgiven him for his past comments, and insisting he had never acted 'physically, emotionally, sexually or verbally' abusive to her at any point
'At no point did Anton use manipulation or cruelty towards me during rehearsals. At no point did I feel vulnerable in Anton's presence. Anton was generous, patient and hardworking.' 'Also, it would be morally reprehensible if I allowed speculation about Anton to continue. It would be unfair for Anton to lose his livelihood, his reputation and his credibility because of an incident that happened 15 years ago and to the best of my knowledge has not happened since.
She added that she wanted those who have spoken out about alleged abuse on the show to be the focus, and warned about 'witch-hunts have consequences that are far reaching and long lasting' She said: 'I believe where there is opportunity to talk things through, you must. I believe in having honest and sometimes uncomfortable conversations in order to learn and grow. I believe those willing who accept their misjudgement and change their behaviour mustn't be condemn forever for their past mistakes.
She finished: 'I have and will always stand with champions against abuse. I send them love and strength and hope their stories are heard and much is learnt. Their courage in speaking out is changing landscapes and inspiring others. Silence does not have to be an option. Strictly is currently facing its biggest crisis in its 20 years since it returned to the BBC in its current form as a wave of complaints from past celebrity contestants have been made in recent months over claims of 'abuse' and 'bullying'
He continued: 'It was a stupid thing to do and a stupid thing to say and now people are talking about that when they should be talking about the show and what a great show it is.The late Strictly host, Bruce Forsyth, was also forced to backtrack in a formal BBC statement after he said the nation should get a 'sense of humour' about the controversy.
Weeks before, Giovanni Pernice, 33, was suspended while a BBC probe is conducted over claims of off-camera misconduct made by Amanda Abbington, 50, and two other former celeb partners 'However, there is a major difference between this and racist comments which are malicious in intent and, whilst I accept that we live in a world of extraordinary political correctness, we should keep things in perspective.
The TV presenter claimed she initially raised concerns to the BBC six years ago, and said she has discussed with six former Strictly stars about their time on the show and took their information to the BBC. The former Strictly pro took to social media to make a jibe at the seasoned television explorer after it emerged that he lodged a complaint with the BBC over professional dancer Ola's 'rude and impatient manner'.
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