‘Hell on earth’: The biggest reality shows that have suffered Strictly-esque scandals

Lydia Spencer-Elliott explores the series at the centre of contestant welfare storms

Some of the most talked-about reality TV series have suffered welfare disputes (Lifetime/Netflix/Bravo/CW)

The bullying scandal behind-the-scenes at Strictly Come Dancing has shocked sitting rooms across Britain. The sequin-clad Saturday night show, known for its salsas, spray tans and on-screen friendships, was seemingly the least likely series to be mired in misconduct– then came the allegations against the show’s professional dancers Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima. The latter was fired for kicking his partner, Zara McDermott. The former quit under an ongoing investigation into his alleged “threatening and abusive” behaviour. He denies all claims.

Although details of Strictly’s ever-evolving bullying saga dominated headlines in recent months, the BBC dance competition is far from the only reality show to undergo a contestant welfare dispute. Here are the other series where treatment of cast members has been questioned…

Dance Moms

Abby Lee Miller on ‘Dance Moms' (Lifetime)

Abby Lee Miller became known as one of the most ruthless dance teachers on television when she invited cameras into hereponymously named Pittsburgh dance studio to film eight seasons of Dance Moms. On camera, Miller relentlessly screamed at her students (the youngest of whom was two years old), routinely mocked cast member’s appearances, ranked them against each other and, in one instance, threw a chair in a child’s general direction.

In 2014, a mother of two of Miller’s students, Kelly Hyland, claimed Miller was “abusive” and that Dance Moms producers encouraged bad behaviour to boost ratings. Hyland said her daughter Paige had developed anxiety as a result of Miller’s behaviour and “children on the show were being subjected to abusive and unlawful working conditions.”

A California judge threw out the claims of emotional distress and the case was settled out of court.

America’s Next Top Model

Janice Dickinson on ‘America’s Next Top Model’ (CW)

Treatment of contestants on America’s Next Top Model was called into question in 2022 when a clip of judge Janice Dickinson calling the size 10 model Robynne Manning “fat” and “huge” went viral. Numerous contestants have previously spoken about their treatment on the show, with season five winner Lisa D’Amato revealing the experience gave her “insane amounts of trauma” and season 12 contestant Aminat Ayinde likening the show to “psychological warfare”.

Another of the show’s judges, Miss J Alexander told The Guardian in 2022: “Some of the girls got upset because they didn’t make it.They were competing with other girls and only one girl can win. So now they feel they didn’t get the support they needed. But these girls watched the show. They knew the formula.”

Love Is Blind

Deepti Vempati and Abhishek ‘Shake’ Chatterjee on ‘Love Is Blind' (Netflix)

In 2023, numerous Love Is Blind cast members – who’d signed up to find their potential soulmate without ever seeing their potential partner’s face until after they’d proposed – accused the show of psychological manipulation and made claims of brutal conditions. Multiple contestants, some of whom remained anonymous, told Insider they filmed 20-hour days with minimal sleep, food and water, while alcohol was constantly available and production assistants were urged to keep their glasses topped up. Cast members also claimed the set was windowless and they only saw sunshine when they went to the bathroom in a trailer outside.

Love Is Blind’s production company Kinetic Content said in response at the time: “The wellbeing of our participants is of paramount importance to Kinetic. We have rigorous protocols in place to care for each person before, during, and after filming.”

Love Island USA

Leonardo Dionicio and Kassy Castillo on ‘Love Island USA' (Peacock)

Last year, Love Island USA series four producers Jasmine Crestwell and Alex Rinks filed a lawsuit against the show’s production team claiming labour law violations. They alleged female Islanders were pressured to “engage in sexual relationships” and producers “were flippant with the concept of sexual consent”. Meanwhile, Black contestants were allegedly mistreated and “sabotaged” as they tried to “forge connections” on their quest for love.

A spokesperson for ITV America said at the time: “We categorically deny the allegations and look forward to defending against these claims in a court of law.”Squid Games Korean-language drama Squid Game became Netflix’s biggest series of all time in 2021. Two years later, the streaming platform announced a real life version of the intense competition show, which saw 456 ordinary people take on painstaking versions of childhood games in order to win 4.56bn won (£28.2m). Critics dubbed the concept a “dystopian nightmare”.

Contestants later filed a lawsuit claiming they suffered hypothermia and nerve damage while shooting the show in the UK, where temperatures plummeted to -3C (26.6F). “Contestants thought they were taking part in something fun,” Express Solicitors said in a statement. “Those injured did not expect to suffer as they did.”

Netflix subsequently confirmed three players had required medical attention but a spokesperson for Squid Game: The Challenge denied a lawsuit had ever been filed.

Real Housewives

Leah McSweeney on Real Housewives of New York (Bravo)

Last November the Real Housewives of New York star Leah McSweeney filed a discrimination complaint against Bravo claiming she was forced to miss her grandmother’s funeral due to the reality show’s filming schedule. Her filing also made allegations of a “rotted” workplace, which involved copious amounts of alcohol and drugs.

Although Bravo did not respond to requests for comment, a production source told Vanity Fair that McSweeney had been offered “whatever day or time” she needed to be with her grandmother. McSweeney’s lawyers did not back down and this month told Page Six that Bravo “really don’t care about their employees”.

The Independent has contacted Bravo for comment.