Actress Amanda Abbington opened up about the conclusion of the BBC’s internal probe into allegations concerning her Strictly Come Dancing partner Giovanni Pernice’s rehearsal conduct in a revealing new interview.
In conversation with Victoria Derbyshire, the Sherlock actress made further allegations about Pernice’s rehearsal behaviour, insisting she “wouldn’t be sitting here now” if the BBC had taken stronger action, the Mirror reports.
Giovanni has consistently refuted all prior claims made by Amanda and expressed outrage at her latest explosive disclosures. A spokesperson for Pernice has commented on Abbington’s recent interview, stating: “It’s disappointing that Ms Abbington would knowingly mislead the outcome of the report in order to further attempt to damage Giovanni’s reputation.”
They added that while Amanda may be dissatisfied with the findings of the six-month inquiry, it is inappropriate for her to perpetuate unsubstantiated and slanderous statements.
Amanda, mother to two with actor Martin Freeman, also disclosed an escalation in death threats directed at both her and her teenage daughter following the unveiling of the BBC report. In addressing accusations regarding her character, Amanda declared it goes against her nature to make unwarranted complaints.
She commented on the BBC investigation during an appearance on Newsnight: “It’s nice. It’s a relief that they’ve apologised.”
Amanda noted that nearly half of her complaints were upheld, but mentioned that there is a “significant reason” why some complaints weren’t upheld, which her team will be looking into further.
Speaking to Victoria, Amanda explained that she cannot currently disclose the significant reason, but hopes to do so in the future, stating: “What’s been said at the moment out there is just not true. There were some very serious things that went on and they were upheld by the BBC. There were breaches of all the codes of conduct.”
Amanda described the past year as “It’s been one of the worst years of my life,” of her life, saying: “I’ve been through a lot – women go through a lot – but it has been a relentless time of my life.
“I have had to deal with horrible things that continue to happen for just complaining… not even complaining as I don’t like that word. Just for reporting what I deemed and other people before me deemed as bad behaviour.”
Regarding the complaints that were upheld, Amanda discussed the incidents in the rehearsal room, describing an “ongoing litany of being verbally abused” by Giovanni, including a 35-minute “rant” at her with name-calling. Amanda emphasized that she is “open to criticism” and “doesn’t make problems or trouble where there isn’t any”.
She added: “There were pockets of time where we got on and it was ok, which was wrong-footing for me because when you’re in that room you never knew where you were from one minute to the next and it can make you shut down. I shut down in that room and I was called ‘mad’ and ‘unstable’.”
Amanda went on to express how she’s always been open to constructive feedback and doesn’t create issues without cause: “I have worked 32 years as an actress in an industry that started the MeToo movement and I have never had to leave a job and experience anything like I did in that room. It was one of the hardest things I had to do. I did it for myself and previous contestants.”
During the Newsnight interview with Victoria, Amanda’s voice wavered as she discussed the conduct she endured: “Um, yeah. It was one of the allegations that was upheld. There were two allegations,” she explained before apologising for referring to her detailed 30-page report.
She explained: “There were two allegations of inappropriate conduct of a sexual nature. They were upheld and one of them was physical and one was verbal.”
Overcome with emotion, Amanda then recounted that the other allegation was verbal, adding: “And they weren’t isolated one-off incidents. They were over a period of seven weeks.”
Amanda disclosed that she first raised her concerns with the producers “after about three or four days of being in the rehearsal room”. She alleges they apologised and promised to keep an eye on the situation.
She added: “I think the cameras went in quite soon after that. This wasn’t an isolated incident and I know it had happened before to other contestants.”
She went on to say that she was put in touch with some of Giovanni’s previous celebrity partners through mutual acquaintances and “invited them over”. She told Victoria: “We just wanted to make sure we weren’t on our own thinking this had only happened to us because we all have said the same thing. It wasn’t pleasant, it wasn’t what the others were going through in other rooms. We wanted to connect with each other.”
Victoria then enquired about how the meeting unfolded, with Amanda revealing that she and the others all “cried and burst into tears”. “We all said the same thing, it was managing a room and having to look after our own mental and physical wellbeing within that room,” she added.
Towards the conclusion of the interview, Victoria brought up Sarah Vine’s recent commentary on Amanda in the Daily Mail. “Women like Abbington are part of the reason other women find themselves in genuinely awful and much more serious situations don’t get taken seriously,” a snippet from the piece reads.
Amanda expressed her dismay at the lack of solidarity from other women, saying: “I’m always shocked when women throw other women under the bus for standing up for something they think is wrong but ok,” after Victoria read out the extract. She shared that numerous women have since approached her to express their gratitude for her courage in raising a complaint about an issue that affected her at work.
She further revealed that her actions have encouraged other women to “speak out” with many expressing their thanks through hugs and words of support.
Amanda emphasised her solidarity with those who had similar experiences: “I also did it for the women before me who had gone through the same thing. I’m not the isolated person – it hasn’t only happened to me”.
In conclusion, Amanda stated her affection for Strictly and clarified that her intention was never to “cause any trouble or ruin any careers.”
She elaborated on her motivation: “All I did was experience something in a workplace environment that was run by a corporation that is owned by the public and I didn’t want anyone else to go through what I went through.”
At 50, Amanda previously disclosed her complaint against her former dance partner Giovanni, 33, from last year’s show, citing “bullying” and “aggressive behaviour,”. Giovanni, who has since left the show, refuted any “abusive or threatening behaviour”.
Following these events, the BBC conducted an internal investigation, the findings of which were made public earlier this week, coinciding with the commencement of the new series.
Amanda’s appearance on Newsnight comes amidst rumours that she might take legal action against the BBC. The broadcaster has conveyed its regret to Amanda, acknowledging six of the 17 complaints she raised about her time on the dance floor with celebrated Italian dancer Pernice.
An inquiry into the allegations revealed instances of “inappropriate behaviour of sexual banter in the workplace” including an incident where Pernice gestured inappropriately, breaching the BBC’s standards. Reflecting on the corporation’s statement, Amanda highlighted the difficulty in speaking out, stating that it “was not an easy thing to do”.
The BBC commented: “Strictly Come Dancing is a family show and we rightly expect very high standards. While competition can be tough, rigorous and demanding, we want the show to ultimately be a joyous and transformative experience.
“It is a great shame if this hasn’t been the case for everyone who has appeared on the show. We have assessed the complaints and we have upheld some, but not all. 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.”
Earlier this week, a source close to Amanda shared: “Amanda is delighted and relieved, and feels her decision to speak out and complain has been rewarded. She hopes other celebrities might come forward now, safe in the knowledge they, too, will be listened to.”
An insider revealed to The Sun that Amanda “has been through hell” and “lost work” due to her public allegations, and she is “considering taking further” action against the BBC for damages and loss of earnings. The source disclosed that Amanda “suffered enormously”, was diagnosed with PTSD, and feels the BBC “breached its duty of care guidelines by not protecting her sooner”.
The insider suggested it’s difficult to “put a figure on how much she could expect” if things went in her favour, but speculated it could reach up to £300,000. The source described this as the BBC’s “worst nightmare” following a “costly investigation” and potential reputational damage for Strictly.
A spokesperson for Giovanni stated: “We are pleased this six-month review has not found any evidence of threatening or abusive behaviour. Giovanni is relieved that the overwhelming majority of allegations put to the BBC have not been upheld and looks forward to continuing his work on Dancing With The Stars in Italy this season.”
Since bidding farewell to Strictly in May, Giovanni has secured a place on Italy’s Dancing With The Stars, partnering with Bianca Guaccero. Showbiz insiders are abuzz about the possibility of Giovanni making a surprise return to Strictly, but those close to him suggest he’s still feeling the sting from previous experiences.
A close source has shared: “Giovanni feels he was thrown to the wolves, and is very bruised by some of the claims made by previous partners against him. He has always maintained his innocence so right now the thought of going back to Strictly seems outlandish.”
They added: “Only four allegations against him were upheld for bullying, plus two sexual complaints, but he feels there was context to these, and he was only ever joking. Not to belittle Amanda’s experience, which is valid, but Giovanni feels like he could have been supported better too.”
Meanwhile, the much-anticipated 20th anniversary edition of Strictly commenced on September 14, with chaperones now an established part of the rehearsal process.
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