Amanda Abbington says she met with her former Strictly co-stars to swap stories of their time on the show (Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images)Love Love Island? Our Factor 50 email brings all the goss 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 Love Love Island? Our Factor 50 email brings all the goss 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 Notice Actress Amanda Abbington has said she met with a host of Strictly Come Dancing contestants at her home where they all shared stories with each other of their behind the scenes experiences of the show – and in which they ‘all cried’. The Sherlock actress, 50, said that she met up with her fellow celebs who had all been partnered with Strictly professional dancer Giovanni Pernice – and that she is now considering taking further action against the BBC. In a Newsnight interview with Victoria Derbyshire, Amanda spoke about the meet up at her home, saying “’We just wanted to make sure that we weren’t on our own and thinking this had just happened to us. Everyone I spoke to all said the same thing, it wasn’t pleasant and it wasn’t what everyone else was going through in the other [rehearsal] rooms.”
Amanda Abbington and Giovanni Pernice were partnered on Strictly last year
(Image: PA)
She added, talking about the fallout: “It has been one of the worst years of my life, I have been through a lot, women go through a lot… I have had to deal with a myriad of horrible things that have continued to happen just for complaining.” The actress revealed that she initially complained to the producers of the show just a few days in to the experience, and it was after that that cameras were put into the Strictly rehearsal rooms. She made it clear that she didn’t take making the complaints lightly, saying: “I have worked 32 years as an actress, in a job that started the Me Too movement and I have never had to leave a job or experience anything like I did in that rehearsal room. I don’t ever make accusations lightly.” Sign up to OK!’s daily newsletter to get updates sent to your inbox for free
Amanda says she met with previous celebs partnered with the professional dancer at her home
(Image: PA)
Amanda said: “I don’t ever make accusations lightly”
(Image: BBC)
It comes in the wake of Amanda making a number of complaints against Giovanni after being partnered together on the BBC dancing show last year. However, an investigation by the BBC ultimately found that it upheld “some, but not all, of the complaints made,” also apologising to Amanda. Regarding Amanda’s statements on Newsnight, a spokesperson for Giovanni said: “It’s disappointing that Ms Abbington would knowingly mislead the outcome of the report in order to further 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.” The Press Association reports that the BBC reported no findings relating to physical aggression , “but complaints of verbal bullying and harassment were upheld,” some of which involved Giovanni using verbal expletives. Meanwhile former Love Island presenter Laura Whitmore, who is also a former dance partner of Giovanni on the show, has also broken her silence on the bullying row, by saying “there’s so much more to this”.
A rep for Giovanni called Amanda’s comments ‘disappointing’
(Image: PA)
Story SavedYou can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterCommentMore OnAmanda AbbingtonGiovanni PerniceLove IslandStrictly Come DancingBBC
