Laura was on the show eight years ago

In recent Strictly news, former contestant Laura Whitmore has hit out at the BBC for the way they treated her.

The former Love Island host raised concerns about Giovanni Pernice‘s alleged behaviour behind-the-scenes back in 2016. However, she claims the broadcaster didn’t listen to her at the time.

Strictly news: Laura Whitmore hits out at BBC

Back in 2016, Laura, 39, danced on Strictly with Giovanni. They were the sixth couple to be eliminated.

However, it has emerged in the years since that Laura had her own issues with the Italian behind the scenes. She recently confirmed that she did raise concerns about him to bosses at the time, however, she didn’t make a formal complaint.

“I was asked to speak to the BBC along with six people that I know of (who deserve anonymity as they don’t want to be dragged through the press), about inappropriate behaviour they experienced similar to mine with the same individual. I initially raised concerns back in 2016,” she said on Instagram last month.

She then added: “I thought my experience was specific to me but I’ve since learned I was wrong.”

Now, in a new interview with The Irish Post, the Irish presenter has slammed the BBC for not listening to her.

“The stuff I’m not going to talk to you about now, because it’s under review, that’s all coming out now, the stuff I tried to speak about eight years ago,” she said.

Laura slammed the BBC (Credit: ITV)

Laura wasn’t listened to by the BBC

The star was then asked if she’d been listened to by the BBC when she made the complaint.

“Or [I was] gaslit to make it seem normalised,” she said.

“It’s a shame that it has to come out in such a victim-shaming way, which it always does. And being the first person to speak up about anything is always hard,” she then said.

ED! has contacted the BBC for comment.

Strictly news: Shayne Ward signs up

In other Strictly-related news, it’s been reported that former X-Factor champ and Corrie star Shayne Ward has signed up for the show.

“Shayne is a previous winner of an audience-voted talent show so will have high hopes of doing it again. He is excited to begin training,” a source told The Sun.

The source then went on to say: “He has some dancing experience so could be a contender for the glitterball trophy. He also has a whopping fan base from his years as a Coronation Street hunk.”

Shane’s reps declined to comment when approached by ED!.

Read more: Strictly news: Danny Cipriani ‘faces being axed’ in ‘last minute U-turn’ over historical drug admissions

Strictly returns to BBC One and BBC iPlayer later this year.