Strictly Come Dancing star arrested amid allegations of rape

With just weeks left to go until Strictly Come Dancing returns to our screens, the hit BBC show has been thrown into a fresh crisis after one of its stars was reportedly arrested on suspicion of rape.

The male suspect, who has not been named for legal reasons, is also reportedly being questioned by police over allegations involving "non-consensual intimate image abuse".

The BBC confirmed on Saturday that there is an "ongoing police investigation".

The Met Police investigation follows a BBC-led inquiry into claims of drug abuse by stars on the show. A Met spokesman told The Sun on Sunday: "On Friday, August 22, officers arrested a man on suspicion of rape and non-consensual intimate image abuse.

"This is a joint investigation... and while the investigation is in its early stages, we urge anyone with any information to come forward to us. The arrest follows a third party allegation of sexual and drug-related offences. Enquiries are ongoing."

The alleged rape victim is currently being supported by specialist officers, he added.

The dramatic development - which is separate from the upcoming series - is one of the biggest crises to have rocked the BBC since veteran newsreader Huw Edwards avoided jail last year for possessing indecent images of children.

A BBC spokesperson declined to comment, saying: "It would not be appropriate to comment on an ongoing police investigation."

The latest arrest is just one of several scandals to have rocked the show in recent years, after fan favourite Giovanni Pernice stepped down last year after being accused of bullying and harassing his 2023 dance partner Amanda Abbington. Some complaints against him were upheld in a subsequent but he was cleared of the most serious ones in a BBC probe into his behaviour

In the same series, fellow professional dancer Graziano Di Prima was also removed over claims of misconduct towards partner Zara McDermott during training.

And earlier this year, Welsh opera singer Wynne Evansleft the show's dance tour after being accused of making inappropriate remarks.

Just this week Game of Thrones star Kristian Nairn quit the show after only one week of rehearsals. He will be replaced by Emmerdale actor Lewis Cope as BBC bosses scrambled to find a last-minute stand-in.

The Northern Ireland-born star revealed he had quit in an emotional Instagram video, shortly after being announced as a participant.

The 49-year-old said: "Like so many people at the minute, I have been dealing with a high level of stress and a little bit of grief, if I'm going to be really real. I've always been my mother's son and I have always powered through things like this in the past and any other time of my life actually. Honestly, I think I've got a pretty healthy attitude towards stuff like this.

"I thought I did, at least. For the first time it's manifested physically and it's caused a spike in my vitals. It's entered an area of concern."