Ornella Muti

Ornella Muti is at the centre of a dispute over her reported payment for appearing on Rai's Ballando con le Stelle. Selvaggia Lucarelli claimed no other contestant was paid as much, though the figure circulating has been called inaccurate. The show is already under scrutiny, with tensions emerging between judge Barbara D'Urso and Muti, and commentary about whether the programme can survive with its new format.

Italian journalist Jimmy Ghione is in the spotlight for his run on Rai 1's dance show "Ballando con le Stelle", where he was among the contestants graded in the October 17 episode alongside Ornella Muti, Aurora Ramazzotti and Noemi Bocchi. He became emotional on air describing a childhood marked by loneliness and a difficult relationship with his father, and Rai News aired his surprise backstage visits to the show's rehearsal room.