Christopher Biggins unleashes brutal verdict on BBC Strictly contestants' bullying claims: 'Rubbish!'

The Sherlock star's complaint sparked a probe into "misconduct" on the show and saw Pernice leave the series.

Abbington accused the Italian dancer of being "nasty" and "awful" in his treatment of her, and she recently broke her television silence by appearing on a tell-all interview on Channel 4 with Krishnan Guru-Murphy, who also appeared in last year's Strictly.

The investigation also led to Graziano Di Prima, 30, being sacked from the annual competition series after footage was reviewed from his rehearsal sessions with Love Island star Zara McDermott, 30.

In the weeks following, several other claims were made about the alleged nature of the behind-the-scenes part of the show, and the BBC announced it had introduced new measures, such as chaperones in training rooms.

However, Biggins has slammed those who have made complaints, stating: "If you don't want to be hit across the knuckles, don't do the show."

Biggins went on to claim he had been invited to take part in the series before but declined. Speaking to Times Radio, he revealed: "This whole saga that’s going on at the moment annoys me because I've been asked [to do the show] and I would not do it because it is very, very difficult."

He continued: "You have to work hard. I mean, it's one of the most hardworking reality TV shows there is on television.

"The whole business of these people complaining about their professional dancers is rubbish because you have to work hard. If you want to be good and you want to win, you have to work hard and put the hours in."

When asked by host Alexis Conran about the line between working someone hard and bullying them, Biggins stood by his opinion.

He went on to point out that Strictly judge Craig Revel Horwood, 59, has revealed his dance teacher used to hit students with a stick during training.

Conran asked if Biggins believes those kinds of strict training methods should return, to which he replied: "If you want to win, if you want to work hard, [then] yes, I think we do [want that].

"That is the whole business. It's a tough, tough gig and you've got to know that." He wrapped up his argument by insisting: "If you don't want to be hit across the knuckles, don't do the show."

Pernice has continued to vehemently deny the accusations against him, while Di Prima initially issued a statement apologising for his actions. However, he went on to explain recently that McDermott had become a close friend who had been messaging him just hours before news of his axe from the series broke.

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In another bombshell update, Di Prima seems to have made more claims after a lengthy period of silence to reveal his final conversation with McDermott, in which the two reportedly arranged to meet up.

In a new interview, Di Prima said of the reality star: "I thought we were friends, we were friends."

Speaking to the Daily Mail, he explained that on the day he found out he'd been sacked from the show, McDermott had sent him a video on her cat along with a complaint about the weather while he was on holiday in Sicily.

He explained his wife Giada Lini had replied to her saying: "I'll try and send the sun to you," before adding: "Anyway, my darling, we're going to see you very soon because we're going to be in the UK so we need to go out together and we can organise dinner in our new apartment. Sending love."

The dancer went on to reveal how 20 minutes later, the BBC got in touch with him to confirm his axe, and how he hasn't heard from McDermott since.