Amanda Abbington Strictly allegations explained – timeline of Giovanni Pernice investigation
A timeline of events into the accusations and the BBC's investigation.
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As Strictly Come Dancing continues on TV screens each Saturday night, it has recently come under scrutiny following allegations concerning the behaviour of some professional dancers with their celebrity partners.
Last year, actress Amanda Abbington joined the Strictly line-up and was partnered with Giovanni Pernice, but the pair bowed out of the competition after five weeks with little explanation.
In the months that followed, Pernice denied accusations of “abusive or threatening behaviour” made by Abbington, which prompted the BBC to launch an investigation.
The BBC has now concluded its review and has upheld some, but not all, of Abbington’s claims.
Abbington has since made further public allegations in relation to Pernice and their rehearsals, which he strongly denies – here is how the events unfolded.
Timeline of Strictly Come Dancing’s Amanda Abbington and Giovanni Pernice controversy
When were Amanda Abbington and Giovanni Pernice partnered on Strictly Come Dancing?
Amanda Abbington took part in the 2023 season of Strictly Come Dancing, partnered with Giovanni Pernice, who had been one of the show’s professional dancers for eight years.
However, just five weeks into the competition, the actress stepped back from competing before eventually leaving the show citing “personal reasons”.
“It is with deepest regret that I had to leave Strictly,” she wrote, adding: “I did not come to this decision easily or lightly but for personal reasons I am unable to continue.
“It was an absolute joy working with my fellow contestants, they are a beautiful, hardworking and talented group of people who I love and who I will miss seeing every Friday and Saturday and competing alongside.
“I want to thank the incredible Production team and everyone on Strictly who looked after me and who are so kind and caring. It’s a wonderful bunch of people and I’ll miss all of them.
“I’m so sad that I am unable to go any further. Thank you to everyone who voted and who sent wonderful messages and inspiring support. You are all amazing. Truly. Thank you. xxx”
What has Amanda Abbington claimed about Giovanni Pernice’s behaviour?
In July 2024, Abbington alleged that Pernice’s behaviour was “unnecessary, abusive, cruel and mean” during their time on Strictly Come Dancing.
She told The Sun on Sunday: “I couldn’t sit back and let him do that to other people.
“I had to think long and hard about making a complaint because I knew the backlash I would get. But I would not have been able to live with myself for future people going on that show.
“I know what happened in that room, it’s on video and I have no problem with anyone seeing that. It’s a duty of care that is needed.
“Rehearsal rooms should be a safe space, there is a duty of care and kindness, and that courtesy wasn’t extended to me on this job. I was being as amenable as possible and it wasn’t being reciprocated, that’s all.”
In the days that followed, Abbington appeared in an interview with Channel 4 News, in which she described the rehearsal room as “toxic” to Krishnan Guru-Murthy.
She claimed that after raising her concerns to producers in the first week of the competition, camera footage of their rehearsals was reviewed on a weekly basis.
She went on to say that producers of the show would tell her they were “shocked”, “horrified” and “so sorry” after watching the footage.
She continued: “It’s bullying and it’s aggressive behaviour. There were other things that happened that were very upsetting, that you manage in the room at the time, because you’re a woman, and you have to manage those things. Because otherwise, what do you do?”
"There's 50 hours of footage being blocked."
— Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) July 24, 2024
Exclusive: Amanda Abbington tells Krishnan Guru-Murthy that Strictly producers told her "we are shocked and horrified" when reviewing footage of rehearsals with her partner Giovanni Pernice, who denies abusive behaviour allegations pic.twitter.com/FKdM1Uy9fI
What has Giovanni Pernice said in response to Amanda Abington’s claims
Following the initial reports, Pernice rejected any claims of “abusive and threatening behaviour” in a statement posted to his Instagram.
In the statement, Pernice wrote: “To my dear fans, you will be as surprised as I am that allegations have been made about my dance teaching methods in the media this week.
How has the BBC responded to Amanda Abbington’s claims about Giovanni Pernice?
The BBC began an investigation into the accusations.
Following Abbington’s allegations, the BBC’s director general Tim Davie said he was “very sorry”, admitting he was “disappointed” to find out about the complaints made by celebrities about their experiences on the show.
“There will be a degree of competitiveness and will to do well, but there are limits and the line should never be crossed,” he said. “We never tolerate unacceptable behaviour of any kind.”
He added that he was “very sorry that anyone has had an experience that hasn’t been wholly positive”.
“That’s something we do need to reflect on and I’m sorry about that. There are clearly learnings specifically about oversight in the training rooms that we had needed to address.”
What were the results of the BBC investigation into Giovanni Pernice’s behaviour towards Amanda Abbington during Strictly Come Dancing?
The BBC’s investigation into Abbington’s complaints concluded in September 2024, with the BBC issuing an apology to the actress.
As per BBC News, complaints of verbal bullying and harassment were upheld by the report, but claims of physical aggression and threatening behaviour were not.
Abbington called the apology a “vindication of [her] complaint”, while a spokesperson for Pernice said that he was “pleased” the report “has not found any evidence of threatening or abusive behaviour” by him.
Following its review, the BBC said in a statement: “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.”
It continued: “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.
“At the time, although the production team took steps to address the issues as they understood them, ultimately these were not enough. This is why the measures we have taken to further strengthen our existing protocols are so important.
“The BBC heard from a number of individuals in making its findings. We want to thank them for participating. The BBC has already taken extensive steps to enhance our duty of care for everyone on the show and a full note of these steps is published alongside this statement.”
Meanwhile, Abbington said in a statement: “As the BBC has indicated today in its statement, my decision to come forward and complain about Giovanni Pernice’s conduct towards me was not an easy thing to do.
“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’. 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.
“Despite this vile abuse, I’ve never regretted coming forward, and today’s apology from the BBC is a vindication of my complaint. 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. I hope those who have felt unable to speak out now will be more confident that they will be listened to and believed.
“The BBC has invited me to meet with senior management and this is something I will now be considering. This apology means a great deal to me. So too does the fact that the BBC have acknowledged the steps that were put in place to support and protect me and past contestants were ‘not enough’.
“What matters most now is that lessons have been learned and that the BBC makes the changes they’ve promised, to ensure others don’t experience the same ordeal that I and others like me did.”
Pernice said in a statement: “I’m glad the review has finally come to an end. I’m relieved that the allegations that I was threatening and abusive were found not to be true.
“It has been an extremely difficult year, reading story after story and not being able to say anything in return as I respected the integrity of the review, which the BBC asked everyone to do.
“I loved my time on Strictly and made some amazing memories. But now I am fully focused on Dancing with the Stars in Italy and supporting my dance partner Bianca.
“I’m grateful to all those who have supported me at this time – I really don’t know how I would have got through this without the love and belief of my family, friends, colleagues and fans.”
What is happening now?
Following the conclusion of the review, Abbington appeared on Newsnight and spoke of an “ongoing litany of being verbally abused, sexual innuendo, sexual gestures” and added that “there was a 35-minute rant at me with him throwing his hands in the air and calling me names”.
She told host Victoria Derbyshire: “When I got a dance step right, he would outline his erection in his trousers and tell me that’s what my dance move had made happen, because I’d got it right.”
Pernice has denied this, with a spokesperson for the dancer saying: “It’s disappointing that Ms Abbington would knowingly mislead the outcome of the report in order to further attempt to damage Giovanni’s reputation.
“While Ms Abbington may not like the outcome of the six-month investigation, she should not seek to spread false and defamatory claims.”
Strictly Come Dancing 2024 continues every Saturday night on BBC One and iPlayer.
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