‘BBC apologies over bullying claims’ & ‘Team GB Olympic scandal’

Wednesday’s front pages offer a welcome break from the dominant stories over the past few weeks, as politics slips off many front pages, leaving room for other domestic topics and some showbiz gossip. 

The BBC’s apology regarding the Strictly Come Dancing scandal is a prominent story for many of the tabloids, amid whispers the popular reality TV show could face the axe. Many of the front pages carry pictures of the three-time Olympic dressage champion, Charlotte Dujardin, who’s pulled out of the Paris Games after a video emerged which she said showed her “making an error of judgement”.

Football dominates the back pages, including the latest transfer reports and gossip. 

‘BBC apologies over bullying claims’

Tim Davie, BBC director general, has apologised following complaints of abusive behaviour on the popular TV show Strictly Come Dancing. 

The Metro says Davie said sorry to the contestants who have made the allegations but confirmed the show will return in the autumn for series 20. 

The Express notes the apology was “heartfelt” and Davie was “forced to intervene personally” over the scandal.

The Mirror leads on the apology but takes a different approach. The paper says some of the dancers are “furious” and feel they have been “hung out to dry”. The paper says the dancers believe they’re not being “protected” over the abuse claims. The paper says the professional dancers are calling on BBC bosses to vet new contestants before they start “rigorous training” for the dance show.

‘Hate preacher convicted on terror charges’ 

Another popular lead for the tabloids is the news that Islamist radical preacher Anjem Choudary has been convicted on terror charges. 

The Sun features a large image of Choudary saying: “Now throw away the key.” The Daily Mail asks “Why was jihad preacher freed to spout hate?” The paper says the 57-year-old “embarked on a global bid to recruit the next generation of terrorists” from Brazil, Canada, and the US after being freed from jail in 2018. It says the police investigation revealed he had also been “peddling sermons” to British schoolchildren as young as 14. The paper has spoken to security experts who say Choudary was so dangerous he should never have been freed from prison after his previous jail term in 2016.

‘Team GB Olympic scandal’ 

Three-time Olympic dressage champion, Charlotte Dujardin is pictured on several front pages. 

The Daily Mail describes her as the “Team GB golden girl”. The paper says the 39-year-old was poised to make history and become Britain’s most decorated female Olympian in Paris. 

The Telegraph says she’s alleged to have whipped a horse 24 times “like an elephant in the circus” and is “deeply ashamed” of her actions.

Away from the leads, there’s a variety of other stories on the front pages. 

The i newspaper leads with comments from the new head of the British Army who gave his first major speech on Tuesday. Gen Sir Roly Walker said the UK must be ready to fight an international war within the next three years – and predicted Russia would seek revenge on the West.

The Independent reports the Bibby Stockholm barge will be shut down with the paper describing the migrant barge as “a shameful symbol of inhumane asylum policy.” 

The Times leads with government health adviser Alan Milburn, who says people on long-term sick leave must be required to look for jobs to deal with the UK’s welfare burden.

The Daily Telegraph’s top story also reports on the government’s plan for economic inactivity. But it focuses on GPs, who are voting on whether to hold a protest over pay which could see them cut the number of appointments they offer each day by up to a third.

US politics makes the Guardian’s lead, the paper says Kamala Harris appeared at her first campaign rally. She told the crowd in Wisconsin: “We will win this election.”