Amanda Abbington has said that the past 12 months have been ‘one of the worst years of my life’ after she accused her Strictly Come Dancing professional partner Giovanni Pernice of misconduct.
In her first interview since the BBC apologised to her, she said, ‘It has been one of the worst years of my life. It has been a very unpleasant, turbulent, relentless time in my life. I have been through a lot… I have had to deal with a myriad of horrible things that have continued to happen just for complaining.'
Despite everything, she said that she has no regrets. The Sherlock actress, who made her shock exit from the show after five weeks during the 2023 series, said that what should have been a joyful experience soon turned into a nightmare, as she ‘lost all sense of reality’ in the rehearsal room. She said that she first raised concerns about Giovanni’s behaviour with Strictly producers on her third day and had ‘many’ more discussions with the show’s bosses about her partner.
Following the BBC’s apology, Amanda, 50, revealed she is considering suing the corporation for loss of earnings and damages. ‘I am taking guidance from my lawyer on a day to day basis,’ she told Victoria Derbyshire on Newsnight.
Amanda also said how she held a summit with some of Giovanni’s former Strictly partners at her home. They cried as they shared their experiences with the Sicilian dancer.
‘We all cried, we all burst into tears. We just wanted to make sure that we weren’t on our own and thinking, this had just happened to us,’ she said. ‘Everyone I spoke to all said the same thing. It wasn’t pleasant and it wasn’t what everyone else was going through in the other [rehearsal] rooms.’
For two decades, Strictly Come Dancing has been known as the happiest, sparkliest show on TV. But that has changed in recent months, following the allegations of bad behaviour on the set of the BBC series. The main two allegations both come from last year’s series of the competition and relate to celebrity contestants Amanda Abbington and Zara McDermott. Neither of their partners, Giovanni Pernice or Graziano Di Prima, will be returning for the 2024 series.
What are Amanda Abbington’s allegations against Giovanni Pernice?
Six of Amanda’s 17 complaints against the Italian professional have been upheld as a result of the BBC’s investigation. The nine-month investigation and 30-page report concluded that the actress faced verbal bullying and harassment, with the use of ‘belittling’ language and swearing, but dismissed that Giovanni was physically aggressive to her or that he made threats.
The BBC also found that there were two instances of ‘inappropriate behaviour of sexual banter in the workplace’ but called it ‘a two-way, consensual way of talking and behaving’.
It has now emerged that amongst the six complaints which were upheld was a comment where Giovanni told Amanda, ‘You have talent and you’re not using it.’ On another occasion, the pro, who got frustrated with her while teaching her the routine, said, ‘I’m tired of it. You want to look s***, I don’t care.’
Also deemed wrongful behaviour were comments when he told her, ‘I don’t know how to ask you anymore’, and ‘It has been four days now and I don’t know what to do’, along with two instances when he swore. Two of Amanda’s complaints relating to sexual nature were upheld.
What has Amanda Abbington said about the BBC’s Strictly report?
Amanda, who is best known for her role as Mary Morstan in Sherlock, hailed the BBC’s verdict and apology as ‘vindication’ over her complaints of bullying on Strictly Come Dancing and said she has no regrets over her accusations that she was bullied by her dance partner.
‘My decision to come forward and complain about Giovanni Pernice’s conduct towards me was not an easy thing to do,’ she said. ‘In the days, weeks and months since I contacted the BBC, I’ve been accused of being a liar, a troublemaker and of being “mad and unstable”. I’ve also received rape and murder threats and a bomb threat was sent to my place of work.
‘My family and children have also been subjected to threats and intimidation. Despite this vile abuse, I’ve never regretted coming forward and today’s apology from the BBC is a vindication of my complaint.’
She added, ‘This apology means a great deal. So too does the fact that the BBC acknowledged steps put in place to support and protect me and past contestants were not enough.
‘What matters most is that lessons have been learned and that the BBC makes the changes they promised, to ensure others don’t experience the same ordeal I and others like me did. I hope those who have felt unable to speak out now will be more confident that they will be listened to and believed.’
What has Giovanni said about the BBC’s Strictly report?
Giovanni – who has since stepped down from Strictly and is starring in the Italian version Ballando con le Stelle – told of his relief that the investigation is over and that it found in majority in favour of him.
‘It’s over. It’s finished. Seven months of this. Seven months of reading everyday things in the newspaper and not be able to respond because I wanted to keep the confidentiality and privacy of the review, was a difficult time,’ he said in a video message posted on Instagram. ‘Today I’m happy because… none of the serious allegations have been upheld. All the threatening, abusive, harassment behaviour allegations have not been upheld.’
His spokesperson added, ‘We are pleased that this review has not found any evidence of threatening or abusive behaviour by Giovanni. He is relieved that the overwhelming majority of allegations put to the BBC have not been upheld.’
What did the BBC say to Amanda Abbington?
In a statement, the BBC said, ‘We take any allegations of bullying and harassment very seriously and this review has taken time due to its complex nature and our desire to ensure a rigorous and robust process was undertaken. We have assessed the complaints and upheld some, but not all, of the complaints made.
‘We want to apologise to Amanda Abbington and to thank her for coming forward and taking part. We know this would not have been an easy thing to do. At the time, although the production team took steps to address the issues as they understood them, ultimately these were not enough.’
Why did Amanda Abbington quit Strictly?
Amanda, who initially cited ‘personal reasons’ for her early exit from Strictly, later claimed that she was subject to a ‘toxic environment’ and ‘inappropriate, mean, nasty bullying’, which left her suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD).
Amanda – who couldn’t go into details about her accusations during the ongoing investigation into her complaint – claimed that when BBC producers were ‘shocked and horrified’ when they watched footage from her rehearsals back at the time. She was diagnosed with mild PTSD and said that she has suffered due to a ‘loss of earnings’ in addition to ‘emotional trauma’. ‘I’d been triggered in that room by past experiences, and it still has a lasting effect on me,’ she said.
The reasons for her departure was for ‘medical reasons.’ However, in the original report detailing how Amanda had requested her training footage, Giovanni was described as a 'perfectionist' who 'can be incredibly full-on.'
In a statement published in The Mirror, the BBC said: ‘The BBC offers a comprehensive range of support to all individuals taking part in our shows. Strictly Come Dancing has always taken duty of care incredibly seriously and there is a constant dialogue between senior members of the production team and the contestants to ensure any concerns are addressed swiftly,’ continuing ‘Strictly has a proud track record as a joyful, positive experience where robust support and assistance is always made available at every stage of the production.’
She continued by thanking the production team and ‘everyone on Strictly who looked after me and who are so kind and caring.’ She added ‘I’m so sad that I am unable to go any further. Thank you to everyone who voted and who sent wonderful messages and inspiring support. You are all amazing. Truly. Thank you. Xxx’
Amanda Abbington’s fiancé, Jonathan Goodwin, shared a cryptic picture to social media, before the news was announced. Accompanied by a picture of himself posing in the mirror, Jonathan captioned the story, ‘We can be so hard on ourselves...be our own worst critics... But before you judge yourself... make sure your mirror is clean.'
Amanda and Jonathan met in 2021, and she shares two children with her ex-husband, Martin Freeman: son Joe, 18, and daughter Grace, 16.
Why did Giovanni Pernice quit Strictly?
Following Amanda’s accusations, the BBC confirmed in June that Giovanni would not be a part of its 20thanniversary series in 2024. The dancer, who joined the show in 2015, vowed to clear his name of ‘serious workplace misconduct’ and has always denied and ‘rejected any suggestion of abusive or threatening behaviour’, calling Amanda’s allegations ‘false’.
