Sister of former PM says she could not pass corporation’s ‘compliance’ while her brother was in front-line politics

Rachel Johnson: ‘I haven’t done Strictly, but I was once asked to do it ages ago’ Credit: Andrew Crowley

Rachel Johnson has revealed that she was not able to take part in Strictly Come Dancing while her brother Boris was in front-line politics.

The journalist and author said she could not “pass BBC compliance” for the popular show while Mr Johnson was serving as foreign secretary and then prime minister.

Speaking to the LBC radio host Nick Ferrari on Thursday, she said: “I haven’t done Strictly, but I was once asked to do it ages ago. I had to go to a dance studio to have a lesson with [professional dancer] Giovanni Pernice, who is very handsome.

“We had to do salsa and ballroom, and I mean literally there’s no way I could have done Strictly. You have to hold your head in this weird position to give you a cricked neck, if not a stroke, for my age now.”

Asked whether she would have gone ahead had she passed the Strictly audition, Ms Johnson responded: “I don’t know if I did pass the audition or not – but what I didn’t pass was BBC compliance.

“It’s because they said that as my brother was prime minister or foreign secretary or something like that, they couldn’t have me on their Christmas big show. So I was like, ‘Fine, OK’. I haven’t been asked since, so I think I probably did fail.”

Rachel Johnson said she could not take part in Strictly while her brother Boris was in front-line politics Credit: Wenn/Alamy

Mr Johnson served as foreign secretary from 2016 until 2018 under Theresa May’s premiership, and was prime minister from 2019 to 2022.

His sister has previously described contestants on the BBC show as “fame-hungry”, saying it was “telly for pushy people”.

She has appeared on reality TV before, competing in Celebrity Big Brother, Celebrity Best Home Cook and Celebrity SAS Who Dares Wins, but has said she does not watch Strictly.

Pernice left the show two years ago over abuse allegations by celebrity dance partner Amanda Abbington that she was subjected to a “toxic environment” and “inappropriate, mean, nasty bullying”.

He denied the allegations, and a BBC review “upheld some, but not all, of the complaints made” by the Sherlock actress and apologised to her.

Pernice returned to Italy to compete in Ballando con le Stelle, the Italian version of Strictly, where he won the 2025 competition and fell in love with the Italian actress Bianca Guaccero, his new dance partner.

Writing about their lesson, Ms Johnson said: “I am aware of Abbington’s interview and allegations, but he had impeccable manners on this occasion.”