Amanda Abbington hits back at Giovanni Pernice as she insists he is ‘gaslighting’ her following the Strictly star revealing HIS side of the story in bombshell Mail+ interview

Amanda Abbington hits back at Giovanni Pernice as she insists he is 'gaslighting' her following the Strictly star revealing HIS side of the story in bombshell Mail+ interview

As a seasoned journalist with years of experience under my belt, I’ve seen it all – from scandals to triumphs, and everything in between. The latest development involving Giovanni Pernice and Amanda Abbington is no exception.


In response to Giovanni Pernice, who recently made his return to British TV following an investigation where most of Amanda Abbington’s accusations of bullying were dismissed, Amanda has spoken up.

Previously a professional dancer on Strictly Come Dancing, aged 34, recently discussed the investigation in an appearance on Lorraine. This conversation took place just days after he shared the entire account of his encounter with Amanda to Katie Hind at The Mail for the first time. You can read the entire interview by following this link.

In response to 17 complaints, the BBC confirmed that six of them were valid, offering a public apology to Amanda. However, Giovanni was found not guilty of the more severe accusations.

Currently, Amanda’s team has provided a statement to The Sun, alleging that the dancer has been manipulatively deceiving them, and they continue to express reservations about how the investigation conducted by the BBC was managed.

Mr. Pernice’s statement that “everything in the rehearsal room functioned flawlessly” is not accurate and appears to be unrealistic. This statement highlights the problematic environment, known as the toxic culture, that Ms. Abbington experienced while participating on Strictly Come Dancing.

Amanda Abbington hits back at Giovanni Pernice as she insists he is 'gaslighting' her following the Strictly star revealing HIS side of the story in bombshell Mail+ interview

Amanda Abbington hits back at Giovanni Pernice as she insists he is 'gaslighting' her following the Strictly star revealing HIS side of the story in bombshell Mail+ interview

According to their own probe, the BBC found that Mr. Pernice violated numerous BBC guidelines, specifically the Anti-Bullying and Harassment Policy on multiple occasions. Despite being warned about his inappropriate behavior by the BBC on several instances, he persisted with such misconduct.

Ms. Abbington never saw his verbal harassment or unacceptable actions as harmless teasing. Instead, such manipulative behavior is a common experience for those who face bullying and harassment. It is individuals like this that Ms. Abbington will persist in advocating for.

Ms. Abbington continues to express worry over how the BBC managed the investigation concerning her complaint and the subsequent release of the report to the media. She plans to discuss these issues further during an upcoming meeting with the corporation.

If given the opportunity to be in the same space as the 50-year-old actress today, Giovanni confessed that he would enjoy a chat with her over a cup of tea.

However, he asserted that there was never a physical altercation between them during rehearsals, instead insisting they “never had a disagreement.” He also mentioned that he only became aware of her discomfort much later, upon hearing her accusations which were made several months afterwards.

During the interview, Giovanni suggested a potential return to Strictly Come Dancing, following his departure due to an investigation.

When asked during an interview on Lorraine, hosted by Christine Lampard on Tuesday, whether he would apologize to Amanda if they were together now, Giovanni responded: “I believe we could enjoy a peaceful cup of tea, engage in conversation, and discuss the events that transpired in that room.

‘It’s very difficult, because at that time everything was perfect.’

Amanda Abbington hits back at Giovanni Pernice as she insists he is 'gaslighting' her following the Strictly star revealing HIS side of the story in bombshell Mail+ interview
Amanda Abbington hits back at Giovanni Pernice as she insists he is 'gaslighting' her following the Strictly star revealing HIS side of the story in bombshell Mail+ interview
Amanda Abbington hits back at Giovanni Pernice as she insists he is 'gaslighting' her following the Strictly star revealing HIS side of the story in bombshell Mail+ interview
Amanda Abbington hits back at Giovanni Pernice as she insists he is 'gaslighting' her following the Strictly star revealing HIS side of the story in bombshell Mail+ interview

Giovanni added: ‘Me and Amanda never had an argument.

‘Indeed, she expressed feeling very uneasy, this being six months ago. I wonder why you hadn’t visited her during that period?’

He continued: ‘You would come to me and say, “We’re not getting along”, then I probably will have a chat like every other relationship, we would have a chat and we talk it through and we try to make it better. 

To put it simply, Amanda and I have never truly fought; instead, we’ve always engaged in constructive discussions about our next moves. While we did meet with the BBC on several occasions, these meetings were always followed by mutual progress. Additionally, I had a meeting with the BBC along with my other collaborators.

In spite of being exonerated from most of Amanda’s accusations and acknowledging that the past year was challenging for him, Giovanni added that he encouraged Amanda to voice her concerns if she felt something was amiss, and similarly, anyone else in a similar situation should not hesitate to do so.

‘It’s good that Amanda came forward to talk about something she thought happened,’ he said.

It’s crucial to voice your concerns if something feels wrong to you. I support the idea that the investigation was initiated, but everyone, including yourself, should express any issues they may have to someone within the production team when facing problems.

It seems to me that her action was justified. Moreover, I’m relieved that the investigation has concluded and we now have some answers.

Amanda Abbington hits back at Giovanni Pernice as she insists he is 'gaslighting' her following the Strictly star revealing HIS side of the story in bombshell Mail+ interview
Amanda Abbington hits back at Giovanni Pernice as she insists he is 'gaslighting' her following the Strictly star revealing HIS side of the story in bombshell Mail+ interview
Amanda Abbington hits back at Giovanni Pernice as she insists he is 'gaslighting' her following the Strictly star revealing HIS side of the story in bombshell Mail+ interview

After my conversation with Christine, I hinted that a comeback to Strictly wasn’t entirely out of the question for me.

He said: ‘I think at the moment I’m just having very focused on Dancing with the Stars Italy. 

“In January, I have a tour scheduled, which means I’ll return to the UK from January through July. After that, it’s hard to predict; though I don’t promise anything, one can never truly say ‘never.’

Over the weekend, Giovanni opened up to Katie Hind from Mail Reporter about his feelings regarding his relationship with Amanda, particularly during their time together in the rehearsal space.

On Monday, leaders at the BBC publicly released their findings regarding Giovanni’s conduct, and they exonerated him from the gravest charges of physical violence. However, they did validate claims of verbal abuse and unwanted advances.

Meanwhile, Giovanni said he was ‘pleased’ to be cleared of ‘threatening and abusive behaviour.’

The report detailed that six out of the 17 accusations made by Amanda were validated. It was mentioned that Giovanni, known for his meticulousness, had been caught swearing and speaking in a manner that could be construed as demeaning, which was categorized as bullying conduct.

The BBC expressed its apologies to the previous actress of Sherlock, as well as showing gratitude for her bravery in voicing her concerns.

During a six-month examination, costing over £250,000 from license fees, investigators discovered that the renowned Italian dance artist employed demeaning speech. On a different instance, he stated: “I’m fed up with it; if you wish to appear shabby, I don’t mind.

The panel agreed with Amanda’s claim that Giovanni often became irritated when teaching her dance moves. Additionally, it was disclosed that he expressed to her, “Your skill is immense and yet, it remains untapped.

On another occasion, he expressed to her: ‘I’m at a loss for words to ask you again,’ and in another instance, he conveyed to her ‘it’s been four full days and I’m unsure of my next steps,’ were both considered inappropriate actions.

In another outburst, Giovanni said ‘f*****’ while teaching her how to do a routine.

Amanda Abbington hits back at Giovanni Pernice as she insists he is 'gaslighting' her following the Strictly star revealing HIS side of the story in bombshell Mail+ interview
Amanda Abbington hits back at Giovanni Pernice as she insists he is 'gaslighting' her following the Strictly star revealing HIS side of the story in bombshell Mail+ interview

In the meantime, it was confirmed that the ballroom star from Sicily, who is well-known for dancing, had also provided unfavorable comments. One instance of this was him expressing frustration by raising his arms and uttering a curse word, specifically ‘f***.’ Consequently, Giovanni received a warning from the BBC because they felt he didn’t adjust sufficiently to Amanda’s requirements.

Among the two allegations that were validated, involving behavior of a sexual nature, there was an instance where Giovanni made an obscene gesture by grabbing himself inappropriately and followed it with a crude comment.

He additionally shared with his dance partner that he felt deeply attracted to her, expressing this sentiment following Amanda’s impressive move during their studio practice, which left Giovanni extremely pleased.

Although several accusations made by Amanda Abbington were dismissed by the BBC during their investigation, they did issue an apology to her. On Monday, they stated in a public announcement: ‘Following our examination of the grievances lodged by Amanda Abbington against Giovanni Pernice, the BBC has completed its review.’

In our evaluation of the grievances, we found merit in certain ones, however, not all were sustained. We wish to extend our sincere apologies to Amanda Abbington and express our gratitude for her cooperation and participation in bringing these issues to light.

‘We know this would not have been an easy thing to do.’

In my perspective, sharing my concerns about Giovanni Pernice’s behavior wasn’t a choice taken lightly. Today, as the BBC confirmed, I found it necessary to step up and voice my complaints, understanding well that doing so wouldn’t be an effortless process.

Since reaching out to the BBC, I have been labeled as dishonest, disruptive, and even mentally unwell.

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2024-10-22 20:09

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