Strictly star Sarah Manners says the BBC ‘fully supported her’ after receiving rough treatment from dance partner Brendan Cole during her time on the show. 

The former Casualty actress’s difficulties on the BBC1 dance series have reemerged in light of recent bullying scandals, which has resulted in Italian pro Graziano Di Prima being sacked and compatriot Giovanni Pernice leaving.

Manners partnered New Zealander Cole in the 2004 series and he reduced her to tears by criticising her on live TV, as well as in newspaper interviews where he compared her unfavourably to former partner Natasha Kaplinsky.

He likened waltzing with the actress to ‘dancing with a brick wall’ and claimed she lacked ‘respect’ because she was a big-name TV star.

Addressing her time with Cole on Instagram on Wednesday, Manners, 48, fully backed the BBC‘s duty of care process.

Strictly star Sarah Manners says the BBC ‘fully supported her’ after receiving rough treatment from dance partner Brendan Cole during her time on the show

The former Casualty actress’s difficulties on the BBC1 dance series have reemerged in light of recent bullying scandals

She wrote: ‘I simply wanted to say that I was fully supported by the BBC.

‘A producer was in immediate contact with me.

‘She came to see me in the training room and stayed in phone contact throughout my time on the show, making sure everything was ok.

‘I had a fantastic time on Strictly and I’m proud to have been one of the earliest contestants.’

Manners and Cole finished sixth on the series, won by actress Jill Halfpenny, leaving three weeks before the final.

The Kiwi dancer, 48, who left Strictly in 2018, not only slammed his partner’s dancing, but also her looks in one particularly scathing rant during the competition, which left her upset.

He said: ‘The make-up team had done her hair as best they know how and she was pleased with it but I didn’t like it. So I said so.

‘Just like any woman would, she took it personally and there was a bit of tension but it’s part of my job to style her.

Addressing her time with Cole on Instagram on Wednesday, Manners, 48, fully backed the BBC’s duty of care process

He likened waltzing with the actress to ‘dancing with a brick wall’ and claimed she lacked ‘respect’ because she was a big-name TV star

Cole compared her unfavourably to former partner Natasha Kaplinsky in interviews during their time on the show (Brendan and Natasha seen)

‘I certainly don’t set out to make every girl I meet feel bad but I say what I mean. I’m an honest person and I’m not going to pussy foot around.’

Speaking to The Sun in 2004, Cole said it was obvious himself and Manners did not see eye-to-eye and admitted he was particularly tough on her.

His comments followed a poor performance in the rumba in week two of the competition, where Cole reportedly stormed off set, refusing to talk to the soap star.

He said: ‘Sarah was a b***h, but I was also a b*****d.

Natasha let me lead on the dance floor, choose her dress, decide on her hair. That certainly didn’t happen with Sarah. I was used to working with graceful women – Sarah was a ladette.

‘To me on the dancefloor — the man is in charge. We were both two strong personalities, and the problem was we were both trying to drive the same car.’

Appearing on spin-off show It Takes Two, Cole was even more cutting and his remarks, comparing her to a ‘brick wall’, made Manners well up and her emotions were captured on camera.

Addressing his comments during an interview with The Mirror, Manners said: ‘I called him and told him I’d seen him slagging me off – and burst into tears again. I felt I’d let him down but I’m doing more than my best.

‘Afterwards he felt terrible and was very, very apologetic. He really wishes he hadn’t said it. Actually that is quite sad because he is fantastic. We have the best laugh.’

Cole also clashed with 2005 partner Fiona Phillips, branding the TV presenter’s dancing ‘the most pathetic I have ever seen’ in footage which had to be edited out of the show’s recording

He then snapped: ‘Half your trouble is you’d rather plod through it. You could at least pretend to be a dancer. That was rubbish. Don’t ever do that again!’

And he even went as far to say her moves meant she would be lacking in the bedroom, saying: ‘You’d make a cr*p sh*g, love!’

An upset Phillips yelled back, saying: ‘You shouldn’t have said that,’ and later told bosses Cole was a bully who had gone too far.

Meantime, another of Cole’s former partners Claire King labelled the Kiwi ‘intolerant’ and ‘impatient’, accusing him of frequently making her feel worthless and destroying her confidence during the 2006 series.

The build up to this year’s 20th anniversary series has been tainted by bullying scandals, sparking Strictly bosses’ desperate bid to clean up the show.

Actress Amanda Abbington triggered the probe after accusing 2023 dance partner Pernice of ‘cruel’ behaviour, which resulted in the pro leaving the show. He strenuously denied the claims.

Earlier his month, his fellow Italian Di Prima was given his marching orders after verbally and physically abusing celebrity partner Zara McDermott.

However, the BBC’s director general Tim Davie has backed the show to continue, while apologising to contestants who have been victims of abusive behaviour.

She wrote: ‘I simply wanted to say that I was fully supported by the BBC. A producer was in immediate contact with me’

Amanda Abbington quit the show last year before claiming that her partner Giovanni was abusive towards her. He later left the show after vehemently denying all claims 

Steve Backshall complained to the BBC about his professional partner on Strictly Come Dancing Ola Jordan back in 2014 claiming she ‘bullied’ him 

Speaking on Tuesday, he said: ‘We’ve got to ensure the fun and entertainment prevails.

‘Alongside the fun and entertainment there will be a degree of competitiveness, hard work, and will to do well; that’s part of what makes this show. But there are limits and the line should never be crossed.’

He conceded that many of the contestants on the show pushed themselves and their partners hard, adding: ‘You’ve got competitive individuals, often sports stars and professional dancers, who want to win.

‘And I think it’s incumbent on us to manage that – and make sure fun and entertainment prevails.’