Strictly commissioner praises Zara McDermott and Amanda Abbington for speaking out

Strictly Come Dancing commissioner Lorraine Heggessey has praised Zara McDermott and Amanda Abbington for publicly speaking out on alleged behind-the-scenes abuse.

The former BBC One controller, who was in charge when Strictly first premiered in 2000, told BBC Radio 4 on Wednesday (17 July): “Thank goodness Zara has spoken out, as has Amanda Abbington, and now the team are doing something about it.

“I think Strictly can get over this, I think we should hang on to all the positives, address the issue and move on.

“It has been a show that has broken boundaries in all sorts of ways.”