Irish TV presenter Laura Whitmore has said she felt “gaslit” when she first raised concerns about her Strictly Come Dancing experience.

The former Love Island host was partnered with professional dancer Giovanni Pernice in 2016, and was the seventh celebrity eliminated from the BBC show.

It comes after allegations made by another former Strictly star, Amanda Abbington, who said that the behaviour of Pernice, whom she was partnered with in 2023, was “unnecessary, abusive, cruel and mean”.

Pernice has rejected “any suggestion of abusive or threatening behaviour”.

Strictly star Laura Whitmore said she tried to speak about 'stuff' 8 years ago

Speaking to the Irish Times, Whitmore, from Dublin, said: “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.”

Asked if she felt she had not been listened to when she first aired her concerns, she clarified: “Or (I was) gaslit to make it seem normalised.”

Whitmore added: “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.”

The 39-year-old said in a social media post last month that she had been asked to speak to the BBC about allegations of “inappropriate behaviour”, along with six other people.

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In the Instagram post (as reported by The Mirror) she previously revealed: "I was trying not to comment on recent press speculation until the BBC review is complete but feel there is a lot of misinformation in the press and I want to help and show support by setting the record straight.

"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. I thought my experience was specific to me but I've since learned I was wrong.

"The aim of this is to show a pattern of behaviour that I believe needs to stop. My evidence is to support other people's experience. It's a shame it takes this for someone to be heard. I am not looking for anything just an acceptance that what happened to me in the rehearsal rooms during my time on BBC Strictly was wrong and that it won't happen to anyone else again. Because I have not made an official complaint, and am providing evidence of my experience to support the investigation, not all the communication will be passed on to all parties involved."

The mum-of-one who is married to comedian Ian Stirling added: “Misinformation is being put into the press so l want to set the record straight. Victim blaming must stop or we will never get better. I've tried to speak up in the correct way. I know the BBC and all outlets continue to do their best to be better, but for that to happen we must speak up."

Newsquest has approached the BBC for comment.