Dan Walker has said that Strictly has to ‘sort out’ its issues and show ‘more honesty’ with viewers, as he revealed the negative effect the misconduct probe had on his family.
The presenter left BBC Breakfast in April 2022 after six years to join Channel 5 News where he is reportedly being paid £500,000 a year.
However, the multi-talented 47-year-old also did a stint on Strictly in 2021 coming in a very impressive fifth place with his partner, Ukrainian dancer Nadiya Bychkova.
Speaking to the Telegraph he professed how he adored his time on Strictly, and when pressed about the recent scandal that has enveloped the dancing show he said: ‘I found the programme to be really positive for me, but I think from a BBC perspective they have to sort it out.
‘You don’t want somebody to go on it and feel the way that some of those people have felt.’
The BBC show has been engulfed by drama since Giovanni Pernice was suspended after his celebrity partner Amanda Abbington accused him of abusive behaviour, saying he was ‘cruel and mean.’ He denies the claims.
It was followed by Graziano Di Prima’s sacking in June over reports he verbally and physically abused Zara McDermott during rehearsals. Graziano has apologised for kicking his former partner and added other allegations do not align with ‘how he remembers it.’
Despite Strictly being plunged into chaos in recent months Walker is adamant that the show is ‘strong enough to survive’.
‘It has to sort out those issues. It has to address those things. And I think they are,’ he said.
He added that to go on the show is incredibly hard, both physically and emotionally, and believed that following the scandal the show will likely pivot and become more ‘honest with the public about the rigours’.
‘You’re asking somebody who has never danced before to go and dance in front of 12 million people and to actually be half decent at it. [And the professionals] are professional athletes, and it’s really difficult to get to a standard which is acceptable.’
‘It’s not about turning Strictly into SAS: Who Dares Wins, but I think what we might see is a bit more ‘this is quite difficult’, ‘my leg is hurting this week’, because it is hard for someone in their fifties to get thrown around in the air.
‘It’s not a case of that being hidden before, but I think there will just be a bit more honesty with the public about the rigours of Strictly and how hard it is.’
Walker also found himself at the centre of a multi-pronged investigation at Channel 5 earlier this year after a ‘colleague working in the media’ made a complaint.
Investigators were brought in to carry out the probe which found there was a ‘lack of evidence to support the allegations’ against him.
The investigation sent ‘shockwaves’ through Channel 5 as Dan is ‘well-respected’ in media circles, according to an industry source.
Speaking about the allegations for the first time to the Telegraph he described it as ‘difficult’ for both him and his family.
‘I know I’m not that person, so… And yeah there’s days you worry about that but also you know that that’s a picture you don’t recognise, and nobody you’ve ever worked with recognises.’
He added that he wasn’t afraid of the outcome as he ‘doesn’t have a closet’ and ‘ doesn’t ‘have skeletons to worry about.’
In February, Dan revealed that he ‘used to cry in the toilets’ while presenting BBC Breakfast during an appearance on This Morning.
Dan recalled that his early 3am starts was one of the difficulties of his job and made him struggle with bad sleep deprivation.
Speaking to This Morning hosts Josie Gibson and Dermot O’Leary on the ITV Daytime show, Dan shed light on the downside of waking up double early for work.
He said: ‘When I used to do BBC Breakfast, you know what it’s like. If that alarm goes off at three that’s far too early, that’s flight to Spain time isn’t it.
‘I get up now about 5.30am/ 5.45am, which is essentially a lie in and I feel great, I feel refreshed and I really enjoy the job I do.
‘By Wednesday I was, like, full zombie mode. And also you get really emotional. By Wednesday I was like, end of the show, you are like, in the toilets just crying.