Shirley Ballas has broken her silence following the Strictly Come Dancing investigation (Image: BBC)Get daily celeb exclusives and behind the scenes house tours direct to your inboxMore Newsletters SubscribePlease enter a valid emailSomething went wrong, please try again later.More NewslettersWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More infoThank you for subscribing!We have more newslettersShow me See OurPrivacy Notice See OurPrivacy Notice×Group 28 Get daily celeb exclusives and behind the scenes house tours direct to your inboxInvalid emailSomething went wrong, please try again later.Sign UpNo thanks, closeWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More info×Group 28Thank you for subscribing!We have more newslettersShow MeNo thanks, closeSee our
Privacy NoticeShirley Ballas has expressed her support for the outcomes of the Strictly Come Dancing investigation, insisting it’s time to move forward with the show. Breaking her silence on the findings, Shirley, 64, emphasised the importance of taking celebs’ concerns seriously. The BBC apologised to former Strictly Come Dancing contestant Amanda Abbington and said that it had “upheld some, but not all” of her complaints about Giovanni Pernice’s behaviour during her time on the show. After an investigation which lasted six months, there were no findings relating to physical aggression, but complaints of verbal bullying and harassment were upheld, the report confirmed.
Strictly Come Dancing’s Shirley Ballas has spoken out following the investigation
(Image: Instagram)
Head judge Shirley, who has been acquainted with Giovanni for over ten years, commented on the report at a book event on Tuesday, 1 October. “I don’t condone bullying I’ve been through it myself,” she said. She added: “So if things aren’t right or need addressing, I feel for the person that wants them addressed. And I think that’s a big, important part that everybody gets to say their thing. But now the investigation is over and everybody can move on,” reports the Mirror.
Shirley said that “everybody can move on” now that the investigation has been published
(Image: BBC)
Shirley also mentioned that any additional protective measures for celebrities joining the show would be beneficial, as she lauded the programme for its care during her tenure. “The eight years I’ve been on the show, it’s been great safeguarding,” she remarked. “I’ve always felt taken care of when the bullying got really bad.” Following the publication of the findings, Amanda released a powerful statement in which she said that she had been “vindicated” after having to put up with being called “mad”, “unstable”. “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,” she wrote. Sign up to OK’s TV newsletter to get updates sent to your inbox for free
In a statement Amanda said that she felt “vindicated”
(Image: BBC)
“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.” Meanwhile Giovanni thanked his fans for their support over recent months. “I have to be honest with all of you because without, without your love, your messages, your support, your constant support, I don’t know if I would be able to even make this message right now,” he said. “I’m happy because today I can carry on to do what I was born to do, and I love to do, which is entertain all of you. Because this is my life, this is what I do. So I’m always grateful to all of you, and I just want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart and saying that I love you all and always, always thank you.”Story SavedYou can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterCommentMore OnGiovanni PerniceShirley BallasStrictly Come Dancing
