Angela Rippon has said the 2023 Strictly Come Dancing cast "were all aware" of the tension between Giovanni Pernice and Amanda Abbington behind the scenes. The presenter, who competed on the show with Kai Widdrington, said Amanda was "very distressed" by the whole situation.
Fallout after Amanda's exit
Amanda pulled out of the competition for good in week five after missing an episode due to medical reasons. She later hinted at a feud with Giovanni after failing to mention him in her exit statement.
The actress publicly accused her former dance partner of "unnecessary, abusive, cruel and mean" behaviour during rehearsals, prompting an investigation by the BBC. Giovanni rejected claims of threatening or abusive behaviour and welcomed the conclusion of the review.
BBC findings and settlement
The BBC later announced it had upheld complaints of verbal bullying and harassment, though allegations of physical aggression were not upheld. Amanda has since reached a five-figure settlement with BBC Studios and received an apology from the corporation.
Discussing the public fallout, Angela said: "I think we were all aware of the tension between the two of them, it's no point saying that we weren't because we all were." She added: "But it's not my place to really talk about it in public because Amanda was very distressed by the whole thing."
Cast and crew distress
Angela said: "I think everybody within the crew was very distressed by the way it turned out with a very popular and very fine professional dancer and with Amanda herself, who is an absolutely lovely person. So, we were aware."
The presenter described the public fallout as "a one off", insisting there may have been other dancing duos who did not get on, but that such issues would usually have been dealt with privately.
Giovanni's future and Strictly changes
Giovanni has not returned to Strictly since the allegations emerged, although he has insisted that he was not fired and that his contract simply was not renewed. He subsequently joined the Italian version of the show, Ballando con le Stelle, where he won the 2024 series with his then-partner, now girlfriend, Bianca Guaccero.
During a recent interview on This Morning, Giovanni said he had moved on from the situation which he claimed drove him "to the brink of suicide". Looking ahead, the dancer said he was focused on his career which includes an upcoming tour.
Strictly Come Dancing 2026 has welcomed a series of changes, including three new presenters: Emma Willis, Johannes Radebe and Josh Widdicombe. Five new professional dancers have also joined the line-up: Aleksandra Isaeva, Cristian Priori, Lethabo Monametsi, Maddie Ingoldsby and Mark Karmalita.
Strictly Come Dancing airs tonight at 6.15pm on BBC One.
