BBC issues Strictly Come Dancing apology to Amanda Abbington

Amanda Abbington has broken her silence after the BBC issued her with a formal apology following a review into her claims of "vile abuse" by her former Strictly Come Dancing partner Giovanni Pernice

Amanda Abbington has "never regretted" making a formal complaint against Giovanni Pernice.

The famed 50 year old actress sadly departed ' Strictly Come Dancing ' just weeks into the competition in 2023 and later levelled serious accusations claiming that her dancing partner, Giovanni Pernice, subjected her to "vile abuse" during rehearsals. After some time, Amanda finally shared her ordeal publicly following an issued formal apology from the broadcaster, also revealing the "threats" she's endured from some members of the public amid these challenging times.

Issuing a statement on Monday (30.09. 24), the actress conveyed: "My decision to come forward and complain about Giovanni Pernice's conduct towards me was not an easy thing to do."

Further detailing her distress in light of the incident, she expressed: "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."

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Highlighting the gravity of the backlash she faced, Amanda disclosed: "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."

However, despite the harrowing experience, she affirmed: "Despite this vile abuse, I've never regretted coming forward, and today's apology from the BBC is a vindication of my complaint."

Reflecting on the wider impact of her action, she concluded: "It's not just a vindication for me, it's a vindication for the other people who have contacted me since I made my complaint to express concerns about their own experiences on Strictly Come Dancing."

Former 'Sherlock' actress Amanda Abbington, who has two children with ex-partner Martin Freeman, is now contemplating a meeting with BBC senior management. She hopes her actions will empower others to speak out with confidence if they feel the need to do so in the future.

She stated: "I hope those who have felt unable to speak out now will be more confident that they will be listened to and believed."

Meanwhile, Giovanni has consistently denied the allegations against him. His representative expressed satisfaction that most accusations have been cleared, allowing him to continue his work on the Italian version of 'Strictly'.

The representative said: "We are pleased that this six-month review has not found any evidence of threatening or abusive behaviour by Giovanni."

"Giovanni is relieved that the overwhelming majority of allegations out to the BBC have not been upheld and looks forward to continuing his work on 'Dancing With The Stars' in Italy this season".

Earlier, the BBC stated that it took the allegations "very seriously", although only six out of 17 complaints against the professional dancer were upheld.

In a statement, the BBC said: "We have assessed the complaints and we have 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."

The investigation revealed that Giovanni's language towards Amanda could sometimes come across as "belittling", and it concurred with the 'Mr. Selfridge' star that his comments were occasionally "overly negative" and included swearing during rehearsals.

Upon examining extensive rehearsal footage, the report identified two instances of "inappropriate behaviour of sexual banter in the workplace", but concluded these remarks were "made and received as jokes" between the two.

Furthermore, the inquiry did not support Amanda's claim regarding an unsuitable video Giovanni sent her on WhatsApp.