Strictly star Angela Scanlon issues apology for ‘stupid’ video after she’s reported to police

Irish presenter shared clip to Instagram last week, but swiftly deleted it

Angela Scanlon has issued an apology after she was reported to police over a video she posted on her Instagram account.

The Your Home Made Perfect presenter, who is currently competing on the recently launched 21st series of Strictly Come Dancing, found herself in hot water this week.

After rehearsals in Borehamwood, Scanlon shared a video of herself sat in the backseat of a moving car, leaning out of the window and dancing in the sun to the 1980 hit song “Rapper’s Delight” by The Sugarhill Gang

The video was swiftly deleted by the Irish presenter, 39, after viewers branded Scanlon’s behaviour “dangerous”.

On Monday (25 September), Scanlon – who is competing on Strictly with professional dancer Carlos Gu – was reported to Hertfordshire Police by a member of the public.

She subsequently released a statement apologising for her actions, saying that she “made absolutely the wrong decision when I filmed this video”.

“I was coming from rehearsals and was giddy with excitement,” Scanlon said. “That’s not an excuse, because what I did was stupid and I’m sorry I let my excitement get the better of my judgement.”

While it could not be seen in the video whether Scanlon was wearing a seatbelt or not, a spokesperson for the force said that they had received a report “about a woman not wearing a seatbelt in a moving vehicle in Borehamwood”.

Angela Scanlon and Carlos Gu on ‘Strictly' (BBC)

The outcome of the report is currently unknown. The BBC declined The Independent’s request for comment.

In 2021, Scanlon was part of a “serious” car crash involving a private ambulance and two other cars.

The presenter was taken to hospital but released shortly afterward, with a witness saying at the time: “People looked shocked and shook up. The damage to the Addison Lee was quite bad and the ambulance itself had to be taken away. It was shocking. The ambulance arrived quickly and took Angela away.”

During Strictly’s first live show on Saturday (23 September), Scanlon and Gu found themselves in the middle of the leaderboard with 23 points after performing a Tango.

No one went home in week one, with the judges scores carrying over into this Saturday’s (30 September) show. Viewers will then vote on their favourite couples, with the bottom two facing the dance-off and the judges voting on who stays in the competition.

You can read the biggest talking points from week one here.

Strictly Come Dancing continues Saturday 30 September at 6.20pm on BBC One.