Amanda Abbington has broken her silence after her former dance partner Giovanni Pernice claimed the fallout from the bullying allegations she made against him left him feeling 'suicidal'.
The actress, 53, and professional dancer, 35, were partnered together on Strictly Come Dancing in 2023. But Amanda quit the BBC dance contest just weeks in, as she accused Giovanni of bullying and harassment and alleged that she had been suffering from PTSD.
This led other stars who had also competed on Strictly to come forward with their own allegations, all of which Giovanni strongly denied. After an investigation into 16 allegations, the dancer was cleared on 10 counts, while six were upheld by the BBC.
Giovanni's memoir claims
The broadcaster then issued an apology to the Sherlock actress, with recent reports saying she received a 'substantial financial settlement' last week.
After quitting Strictly, Giovanni stepped away from the limelight but has now shared his version of events, reports The Mirror. In his new memoir, Taking The Lead, Giovanni claimed that he was left battling a deep depression after the allegations, and later felt suicidal.
In an extract serialised in the Daily Mail, Giovanni 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."
Amanda's response
In response to his claims, Amanda has told the Sun: "It's sad, though not surprising, that Giovanni is continuing down this route.
"He took part in the BBC investigation that made findings against him, following which the channel paid me compensation.
"He is grossly mischaracterising what happened to suit his own narrative, but I have no interest in engaging with that. My focus is on moving forward."
Giovanni described himself as being "on top of the world" just months earlier, having won the Glitterball with Rose Ayling-Ellis in 2021. The pair also went on to receive a BAFTA for their work on the dancefloor.
Rehearsal dynamics and investigation
However, he claimed the fallout from the allegations left him a "burnt-out shell". Reflecting on his time rehearsing with Amanda in 2023, Giovanni claimed that she "quickly set the tone" for the way they communicated.
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."
"In fact, a BBC producer who saw a video of us 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 during rehearsals and claimed she sent him a thank-you message after their first session. Looking back on their brief time in the competition, he described "moments of tension" but claimed there were "never any arguments" between them.
He described his behaviour towards Amanda as supportive and encouraging, while claiming he found some of her efforts confusing and became concerned that she was not putting enough time and effort into rehearsals.
As the competition progressed and rehearsals became more intense, Giovanni alleged that their relationship quickly deteriorated. Amanda eventually quit the series midway through the competition before later accusing her professional partner of "unnecessary, cruel and abusive behaviour".
During the public fallout that followed, Giovanni said it became "increasingly difficult" to read "all the bile that was flowing in my direction".
The allegations prompted an internal investigation after at least three celebrities instructed lawyers at Carter Ruck over alleged abuse, which Giovanni denied. At the time, former Met officers were brought in by BBC bosses to oversee the "evidence gathering" process. They reviewed footage of Giovanni's rehearsals with Amanda, as well as messages exchanged between the pair.
Following the investigation, it was found that Giovanni had not been physically abusive, although complaints relating to verbal bullying and harassment were upheld.
In a statement, the BBC said: "The BBC has now concluded its review into the complaints made by Amanda Abbington against Giovanni Pernice. We take any allegations of bullying and harassment very seriously, and this review has taken time due to its complex nature and our desire to ensure a rigorous and robust process was undertaken.
"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, 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."
