Amanda Abbington has doubled down on her criticisms of former Strictly Come Dancing partner Giovanni Pernice, stating she "wasn't being treated fairly" during her time on the show.
The actress made the comments during a recent podcast appearance, where she reiterated concerns about her treatment on the BBC programme.
"I just felt I wasn't being treated fairly in that room," Abbington said, addressing the controversy that has continued to follow her since leaving the show midway through the 2023 series.
The 51-year-old Sherlock star has spoken out nearly a year after first raising complaints about Pernice's behaviour during their partnership.
Abbington left the BBC show halfway through its 2023 edition, initially citing "personal reasons". She later accused the professional dancer of "unnecessary, cruel and mean behaviour" in July last year.
The actress claimed she was subject to a "toxic environment" and "inappropriate, mean, nasty bullying" during her time on the programme.
Amanda Abbington accused Giovanni Pernice of 'bullying' during their time on Strictly togetherBBCPernice immediately rejected the allegations when they emerged and the controversy prompted the BBC to launch an internal investigation into the claims made against the Italian dancer.
Pernice subsequently walked away from his position on the dancing competition last spring while the BBC conducted its investigation.
The BBC investigation concluded in September 2024, clearing Pernice of the most serious allegations of physical aggression and threatening behaviour. However, the broadcaster did uphold six of the 17 complaints made by Abbington, which related to verbal bullying and harassment.
The BBC subsequently issued a formal apology to the actress and thanked her for coming forward with her grievances.
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Abbington made claims about Pernice following her stint in the 2023 series of Strictly
BBCIn a written statement responding to the findings, Pernice said he was "pleased the report has not found any evidence of threatening or abusive behaviour".
The investigation's outcome represented a partial vindication for Abbington, who maintained that inappropriate conduct had occurred during their training sessions.
In the wake of her accusations, Abbington revealed the severe backlash she faced from the public. "I was getting 20 death threats a day," she disclosed on the podcast, highlighting the intense reaction to her complaints.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed they were investigating these threats against the former Sherlock star while Abbington claimed that media misrepresentation contributed to the hostility she experienced.
"Journalists were literally writing lies about what I was saying and what they thought had happened, and they had a lot to do with why I left social media," she said to Kate Thornton on the White Wine Question Time podcast.
The actress described how she became vilified simply for speaking up about her treatment.
While Giovanni's career appears to be back on track, the dancer has not returned to the BBC ballroom. Instead, he recently won the Italian version of Strictly, Ballando Con Le Stelle, with his professional and real-life partner Bianca Guaccero.
He has also appeared on Celebrity Hunted and is planning a summer tour with Strictly legend Anton Du Beke.
Amanda Abbington broke down in tears when discussing the ordeal with Channel 4 last year
CHANNEL 4
Abbington, meanwhile, has taken on a less high-profile role in the play "(This Is Not A) Happy Room" at a theatre behind a north London pub.
She recently told The Times: "I don't know whether I've been cancelled or whether people don't like me any more, but I know I did what I did for the right reasons."
Abbington emphasised that her intention was never to damage the show or Pernice's reputation. "It's been a year now and I don't wish anyone ill will. I just didn't like how I was treated," she stated on the podcast.
Giovanni Pernice went on to win the Italian version of Strictly
GETTY
"There was never a witch hunt, I never wanted to tear anybody down," she added before explaining her motivation was partly to protect others from similar experiences.
"I knew that several other women before me hadn't been treated fairly in that room and I didn't want that to happen to somebody like my daughter," she said before she concluded: "I never wanted to take down Strictly, I just wanted to highlight that sometimes bad behaviour manifests itself in very different ways."
