When Amanda Abbington confided in Giovanni Pernice about her fears after discovering lumps in her breasts, the “very concerned” former Strictly Come Dancing star reportedly showed immense kindness.
According to friends of the Italian dancer, 34-year-old Giovanni immediately tapped into his network to provide Amanda with contacts for top medical experts. This information comes on the heels of Amanda’s revealing interview.
Over the weekend, Amanda spoke candidly about her gratitude for leaving the BBC show last year due to a cancer scare. The Sherlock star lodged a complaint against Giovanni shortly after her departure, levelling several accusations at him, which he has consistently refuted.
A BBC investigation earlier this month cleared Giovanni of any allegations of violence but did offer an apology to Amanda, acknowledging some instances of bullying as she had claimed. In her recent interview, Amanda recounted finding two non-cancerous lumps during what would be her ‘final week’ on Strictly, expressing relief that the health scare provided her with a reason to exit the competition, reports the Mirror.
Reflecting on a personal exchange, Amanda revealed that she told Giovanni about her plans to get checked out, saying: “‘I’m going to go to the hospital now because I found two lumps in my breast this morning’.”
According to her, Giovanni’s caring reply was “let me know how it goes”.
Speaking to The Sun, she reflected: “It was the catalyst I’d been sort of waiting for, which is terrible. But that’s what I was thinking, that it was a healthier option than being in that room.”
She also acknowledged feeling a sense of relief, thinking “OK, I have to deal with this now instead. Phew.”
Meanwhile, a BBC insider contends that Giovanni’s reaction to Amanda’s health concerns appeared far more compassionate than her recent interview implies. According to their account given to the Daily Mail: “As far as everyone was concerned, Amanda left because she had found some lumps in her breasts that understandably left her worried she could have cancer,” they assert.
They elaborated to the Daily Mail, saying: “Nobody wants to have to see anyone go through that and there was a lot of kindness shown to Amanda. Gio was very concerned and wanted to help her in any way he could. The next thing is that she has PTSD… the scenario changed. None of it made sense. She has said she left for a totally different medical reason. The whole thing seemed bizarre.”
When approached about these allegations, representatives for Amanda declined to comment.
After the BBC investigation’s findings were disclosed last week, Amanda hinted at potential legal action during her Newsnight appearance with Victoria Derbyshire. She revealed she was “taking guidance from my lawyer on a day-to-day basis” following advice-seeking in light of the inquiry’s outcome, as discussed with Victoria.
Amanda added: “There’s a 30-page report that me and my lawyers are still digesting. There are still things in there that are unresolved.”
A representative for Giovanni responded firmly, saying: “The BBC concluded its review almost a week ago. It is deeply concerning that Ms Abbington appears hellbent on continuously misrepresenting the review’s findings in TV and newspaper interviews. Giovanni is focusing on his work on Ballando con le Stella and is there for his partner, Bianca. He remains hopeful that Ms Abbington will come to terms with the review’s conclusions and move forwards.”
The professional dancer has always denied the accusations made against him.
Following Amanda’s Newsnight interview, associates of Giovanni have accused her of overstepping the mark and trying to “destroy” him. A source expressed to the Daily Mail: “Amanda went too far, what is she doing? She knows full well what was in the report, she kept referring to it during the interview, saying that she had a 30-page report with her in the studio, which she said she and her lawyer are digesting,”.
A separate individual remarked: “When will she stop? Once again Abbington is destroying Giovanni in the media. For months, there have been stories in the papers of far more serious things Amanda says he did to her, those have not been upheld so what has she got to say about that?”
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