Strictly Come Dancing denies claims of swearing in lyrics of Hamilton performance
The BBC has denied that one of the singers on Strictly Come Dancing let slip a swear word on Friday night during a performance of a song from Hamilton.
Friday's episode, which was themed around musicals, began with a medley in which the professional dancers were joined on the floor by singers performing tracks from shows including Six, Legally Blonde and Everybody's Talking About Jamie.
Read more: Who is the bookies' favourite for Strictly Come Dancing 2022?
One of the songs featured was Right-Hand Man from Lin-Manuel Miranda's historical musical Hamilton, sung on Strictly by Trevor Dion Nicholas.
Viewers on social media were surprised when it appeared that Nicholas sung the original lyrics, including the phrase "boom goes the cannon, watch the blood and the s*** spray".
Can't believe they got a swear word from Hamilton through the filters 😂😭 I love this week already #Strictly
— Mrs Griff (@MrsGriffMusic) December 2, 2022
Ooh, was that a swearword in that Hamilton song? *cue complaint letters* #Strictly#scd
— AJ, Goth Christmas edition 🕸️🎃 (@uisgebeatha) December 2, 2022
Just wondering how many complaints the BBC will get about the S Word popping up there in the Hamilton section of the #Strictly medley.
— Kate Johnson: Hex Appeal out NOW! (@K8JohnsonAuthor) December 2, 2022
However, in a statement to Digital Spy, a BBC spokesperson clarified that the lyrics had been subtly altered and there was no swearing.
They said: "There was no swearing. The lyrics were changed from the original and the singer said 'ship spray'."
Read more: Kym Marsh admits to FOMO over missed Strictly week
Nicholas is a seasoned West End performer, who originated the role of the Genie in the London cast of Aladdin and currently plays George Washington in Hamilton.
He has also appeared as a judge on the ITV singing show All Star Musicals, in which famous faces perform numbers from popular stage shows.
On Strictly's Musicals Week, two couples shared top spot on the leaderboard, with both Will Mellor and Helen Skelton managing a near-perfect score of 39.
Molly Rainford and Fleur East were just behind with 38, while remaining dancers Hamza Yassin and Kym Marsh scored 36 and 34 respectively.
Read more: Darcey Bussell reveals why she quit Strictly
The couples were competing for a spot in the semi-final, with the episode airing on Friday this week due to the World Cup in Qatar and the results show due to air on Saturday evening.
Strictly has also announced the cast for its upcoming Christmas special, which will include Girls Aloud star Nicola Roberts, CBeebies presenter George Webster and Corrie actor Alexandra Mardell.
Watch: Will Mellor apologises for crying on Strictly Come Dancing
