Ian Waite blasts BBC Strictly as he and other 'legendary pros' snubbed: 'What's wrong with an old dancer?'

Speaking to Zingo Bingo, the professional dancer said he and his fellow dancers are still more than capable of returning to the ballroom, citing his 2023 victory on the Australian version of the competition as proof.

“If you asked anyone, is a 53-year-old dancer going to win Strictly, most people would probably laugh,” he said.

“But...I won the Australian version last year, so it’s really not like that at all.”

He rejected the idea that older dancers can’t deliver physically, insisting: “I’m really fit. I play a lot of sport. I’m in the gym all the time. I’m still dancing.”

Mr Waite argued that experience is a major asset, pointing to veteran Strictly favourite Anton Du Beke.

“The most successful dancer on Strictly and the one that everybody knows is Anton Du Beke, and he was the oldest by a long way,” he said.

“It’s not all about let’s have a young gorgeous pro dancer. What’s wrong with an old gorgeous dancer?”

Mr Waite added that he, Cole, Jordan, Kovalev and Simone “could show these guys how it’s done”, joking that the group is “actually getting better with age”.

But despite fan enthusiasm, Mr Waite believes BBC bosses have no interest in giving the legends a moment back in the spotlight.

“I think the public would love to see the Legends on Strictly do a show dance without doubt,” he said. “But I don’t think the BBC or the bigwigs or the producers would.”

He added: “People at the BBC don’t want people harking back to the old pros. I don’t think this is something they would want to push, and that is a real shame, because the real fans of the show would love to see it.”

The former Strictly pros have nevertheless maintained huge popularity on tour, with Mr Waite revealing that venues including Southend and Cardiff are “nearly sold out” for next year’s dates.

Mr Waite also named his dream Strictly celebrity partner, sitcom star Miranda Hart, saying the comedian would bring “hilarious” energy to the ballroom.

“I think she would be hilarious. She’s very tall and goofy… Miranda and me, that would be my dream dance partner,” he said.

This isn't the first time the dancer has spoken out about the show.

Strictly Come Dancing's return in 2024 was overshadowed by claims surrounding behind-the-scenes rehearsals and training.

An investigation into the series was launched after 2023's celebrity contestant, actress Amanda Abbington, made accusations about her dance partner Giovanni Pernice's "misconduct," which led to his exit from the show.

This was followed shortly after by Graziano Di Prima's axe.

Mr Waite, 53, who was a professional on the show until 2010, insisted there was "nothing abusive" about traditional training techniques as he reflected on his own experience on Strictly and in the wider world of dance.

When asked about the scandals, he told GB News: "In my own experience, I've never seen anything like that. It wasn't quite as big a show when I was on it, so there wasn't as much pressure.

"I don't think that's an excuse necessarily, but I think that there are lots of elements which create pressure, and that's hard when people get tired further down the line.

"I only ever experienced great things. My celebrities went through highs and lows where they struggled and then they broke into tears, but then they improved and we had senses of elation."

The Latin American dance specialist continued: "You always had ups and downs, but certainly with teaching techniques, when I was a young lad going to London for lessons, the teaching culture was always quite hard when first learning to dance.

"In those days, they would shout at you, and poke and prod you into position. There was nothing inappropriate or abusive in those methods at that time, it was just to make you a better dancer.

"I think there are different teaching techniques and this incident didn't reach the appropriate standard, but I certainly haven't experienced it on Strictly. It's always been a wholesome, fun, enjoyable show."