Nick Knowles reveals what Strictly Come Dancing is like with newly-introduced chaperones
"From our point of view, it's an amazing experience."
This season of Strictly Come Dancing will be the first to air after a new policy was implemented, meaning that a member of the production staff will be in all rehearsals and training sessions.
The policy was implemented following complaints about the alleged behaviour of Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima in the rehearsal rooms.
Pernice has denied allegations of "abusive or threatening behaviour" towards former dance partners, while Di Prima explained that he "deeply regrets" the events that led to his own departure from the show.
Now, one of this year's celebrity contestants, Nick Knowles, has spoken with RadioTimes.com and other press about what it's like having the chaperones in the room, and was full of positivity about his experience thus far.
"The thing is, for us, we're only just starting our journey now, so this relationship with the team, this is all we know," he explained.
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"All I can say from my point of view is we are being so looked after in terms of our dance partners, the management. We've got psychological support if we need to talk to anybody at any stage, we've got physios to look after us.
"So from our point of view, it's an amazing experience."
Knowles added: "Just to say, historically, I haven't been involved with it, but actually, it's important that people are listened to, and they have been so that's that seems, to me, all good."
Speaking more generally about his experience on the show, Knowles said that he is both "elated and knackered".
He said: "It is the most fabulous experience with the most fabulous people, but it's also one of the toughest things that I've ever tried to do, and I'm literally shattered at the end of every day that we're doing it.
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"I'd been really in heavy training for like six weeks in the lead up to this, and I've lost a lot of weight and done a lot of running and a lot of gym work to get my heart rate down and get fit with it.
"I thought I'd be kind of ready to deal with it, and I'm not ready at all. If anybody would like to donate their feet, I need to change mine, because they've had it."
Fans will find out which of this year's professional dancers Knowles will be paired with when the launch show airs on Saturday 14th September.
That show will also include a group dance with all the contestants and their partners, as well as a celebratory dance to welcome Amy Dowden back to the ballroom.
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The Strictly Come Dancing 2024 launch show will air on Saturday 14th September at 19:20pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
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