Amanda Abbington has spoken in her first live TV interview about her experience on Strictly Come Dancing, admitting texts that pinpoint exactly when issues started for her with dance partner Giovanni Pernice. The Sherlock actress has previously made accusations about the teaching methods of Giovanni during their time working together on the BBC One dance show last year. Amanda pulled out in week five of the 2023 series, citing 'personal reasons'.
It later emerged she'd made a formal complaint about Giovanni, who has since left the hit programme as he refutes any claims of wrongdoing following her claims of "unnecessary, abusive, cruel and mean" behaviour. READ MORE: Stacey Solomon 'can't believe it' as she shares 'ridiculous' emotional update with Joe Swash She has now described the “toxic environment” she felt she was in while rehearsing for Strictly as she told how she was speaking to media now as part of press for her new play, with it inevitable she'd be able to address the fallout from her experience on the show. "I do feel I have the right to say it was a toxic environment I was in when I was rehearsing because it was," she told Christine Lampard on ITV's Lorraine on Thursday (July 25).
"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.'" She added: "It was inappropriate, it was mean, it was nasty, 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.
” Amanda said the issues began early on, saying: “It was week one, the third day. ’ve got texts to the producer on the third day saying "This is awful, he hates me, I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.'" 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.
” 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." 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.".
