Amanda Abbington has told what she wants to happen to Strictly Come Dancing as she asks for an 'apology from the BBC ' following her complaints about her time on the show. The Sherlock actress signed up for the 2023 series and was paired with Italian dancer Giovanni Pernice. The pair showed promise with their partnership, with Amanda's moves praised by the judges and viewers.
However, Amanda pulled out of the BBC One dance contest in week five, citing 'personal reasons'. It later emerged, however, that she'd made a formal complaint about Giovanni. READ MORE: Stacey Solomon 'can't believe it' as she shares 'ridiculous' emotional update with Joe Swash He has since left the hit programme after he wasn't named in the 2024 series' professional dancing line-up but he strongly refutes any claims of wrongdoing following her claims of "unnecessary, abusive, cruel and mean" behaviour.
Now, in her first live TV interview since the Strictly scandal erupted, Amanda has described the “toxic environment” she felt she was in while rehearsing for the hit dance programme. She told Christine Lampard on ITV's Lorraine: “I do feel I have the right to say it was a toxic environment I was in when I was rehearsing because it was. It’s important that women feel they are in a safe space where they can say, 'This is inappropriate behaviour and it needs to be recognised.
'" Asked what she would like to happen next with Strictly Come Dancing, Amanda said: “I love Strictly, I always wanted to do that show. I think it’s a beautiful British institution. Most people on that show are wonderful and I’ve made some good friends on that show, I don’t want it to end.
I want it to have a beautiful extended life because its Saturday night entertainment.” Amanda on Strictly with Giovanni (Image: BBC) For herself, she said: "I would like an apology and I would like this to not happen to women working in that corporation again and for it to be taken seriously." Earlier on during the chat, Amanda detailed Giovanni's "inappropriate" and "mean" behaviour, stating: "It was bullying and I put up with it for five weeks.
It started very early on and when it started to happen I shut down because I recognised those red flags." Asked about the trolling she had suffered since raising her concerns, Amanda said: "I knew that raising and voicing my concerns probably would mark me as public enemy number one, I realise that. But it didn't expect the onslaught I got and the persistent amount of death threats and rape threats to members of my family.
' She added: "I go outside worried because I had messages saying watch your back because you're going after Giovanni. I'm not. I literally just said I'm not sure this is appropriate behaviour, can we do something about this?" Amanda spoke to Christine about Strictly in her first live TV interview (Image: ITV) A BBC statement to the PA news agency said: “Anyone involved in a complaint has a right to confidentiality and fair process and therefore it would be inappropriate to comment further on individuals.
However, when issues are raised with us we always take them extremely seriously and have appropriate processes in place to manage this. As we have said before, we would urge people not to indulge in speculation. "More generally, the BBC and BBC Studios takes duty of care extremely seriously.
Our processes on Strictly Come Dancing are updated every year, they are kept under constant review and last week we announced additional steps to further strengthen welfare and support on the show." A statement sent to PA from a spokesman for Pernice said: "We are co-operating fully with the BBC’s review process. All parties have been asked to respect this process and to not speak to the media before it concludes.
"We will continue to respect the integrity of the investigation and believe it is the right forum for all the evidence to be reviewed. As part of the evidence-led review, the BBC has shared the allegations they have been able to substantiate with us. They do not resemble Amanda’s latest allegations, given to Channel 4, in any shape or form.
Giovanni refutes any claim of threatening or abusive behaviour, and having provided the BBC with his evidence, is confident that the review will prove this. "We would urge people to wait for the review’s conclusion and not to pay heed to these very serious and defamatory allegations that have no evidence in support of them.".
