Strictly Come Dancing professional Giovanni Pernice has admitted that he felt suicidal following allegations made by Amanda Abbington. In his new memoir, Taking The Lead, the dancer, 35, speaks at length about his time working with the actress, 53, who quit the BBC show in 2023 after just weeks, alleging she suffered from PTSD and accusing him of bullying and harassment.
Memoir reveals depression battle
In an extract serialised in the Daily Mail, Giovanni revealed that he battled deep depression after the allegations first emerged. He reportedly wrote: "Hunched on the sofa of my London flat, I scrolled through my phone as story after story brought bad news, plunging me deeper into depression. Is it worth it? I asked myself. What would happen if I wasn't here any more? Who would care?"
"Tomorrow, I pledged, I would end it all. My life was over and the emotional pain was becoming unbearable." He described himself as being "on top of the world" just months earlier, having won the Glitterball with Rose Ayling-Ellis in 2021, and receiving a BAFTA for their work. However, he claimed the fallout left him a "burnt-out shell".
Claims about Amanda Abbington
Reflecting on his time rehearsing with Amanda in 2023, Giovanni claimed she "quickly set the tone" for their communication. He reportedly wrote: "In a text message for my 33rd birthday, she called me 'k**b head'. Our banter involved bad language, jokily calling each other the 'C' word. If somebody calls me rude names and makes rude gestures ... it means our banter is at that level."
He added that a BBC producer who saw a video of them calling each other the 'C' word asked Amanda: 'Are you OK with that?' Amanda replied: 'Yeah, of course. I started it.' Giovanni said he was immediately impressed by Amanda's efforts and claimed she sent him a thank-you message after their first session. He described "moments of tension" but claimed there were "never any arguments" between them, while alleging he became concerned she was not putting enough time into rehearsals.
Investigation and apology
Amanda quit the series midway through, later accusing her partner of "unnecessary, cruel and abusive behaviour". Giovanni thanked his then-girlfriend Molly Brown for standing by him, reportedly writing: "She could see that I was spiralling and she was there to talk to me when I was down. There were certainly times I would have killed myself if Molly hadn't been there."
An internal investigation followed, with former Met officers overseeing "evidence gathering". Giovanni was cleared of 10 of 16 allegations, while the BBC upheld six. In a statement, the BBC apologised to Amanda, saying: "We want to apologise to Amanda Abbington and to thank her for coming forward and taking part." Amanda said the apology was "a vindication of my complaint", noting she had received rape and murder threats and a bomb threat, and that the BBC had invited her to meet senior management.
