STRICTLY Come Dancing is facing the biggest crisis in its history as it prepares to celebrate its 20th anniversary.

The flagship BBC One reality show this week announced filming for the next series would begin next month, despite a growing storm over alleged abuse from professional dance partners towards celebrity contestants.

Zara McDermott and Graziano Di Prima won over hearts on Strictly but now a different side to their time in the competition has emergedCredit:
The Italian dancer, 30, has fled the country after claims he ‘kicked, hit and spat’ at ZaraCredit

Zara previously revealed she was left with ‘open wounds’ during rehearsals and passed outCredit: Instagram
The scandal began when Amanda Abbington, who quit last year’s contest, accused Giovanni Pernice of “threatening and abusive behaviour” in January.

She branded the Italian star, 33, “nasty” and said she suffered mild PTSD from working with him – two of his other previous Strictly partners have since spoken up, too.

This week, Graziano Di Prima, 30, was fired by BBC bosses after it was claimed he ‘hit, kicked and spat’ at Love Island Zara McDermott in rehearsals last year.

In a statement, the pro dancer’s representative said: “There is never a time when kicking, or any sense of that is right, and he knows that.”

With Graziano sacked for ‘gross misconduct’ and Giovanni – who denies all allegations – suspended while the BBC show carries out an investigation, fans have serious questions over the future of Strictly.

Brand and culture expert Nick Ede tells The Sun that it must recover its “reputation as a family show” urgently and believes the real test of what the public thinks about the scandals will be viewing figures when the new series airs.

He says: “I think the biggest problem is trust and that has been lost. “It’s a family show, loved by kids and grandparents alike. It is one of the only shows that is for everyone of all ages.

“But now we’ve seen two dancers leave and more stories coming out, even Nadiya [Bychkova] splitting up with Kai [Widdrington].

“People will not trust it as much as a family entertainment show because it’s become a bit of a soap opera.

“I think the real hard proof of the pudding is in the ratings, if people turn off that’s the biggest issue but we won’t know that until opening night of the new series.

TWO TO TANGO The celebrity relationships that have suffered the Strictly curse
“That’s when the BBC and producers will take a deep look at whether damage has been caused and if it will be a massive issue.”

Here, we examine 11 key questions the crisis-hit show faces ahead of the new series.