What Giovanni said to Amanda Abbington on day she quit Strictly over cancer scare – and why insiders now say her departure seemed ‘bizarre’, reveals KATIE HIND
As a seasoned observer of dance competitions and human interactions, I find myself deeply troubled by this recent controversy surrounding Giovanni Pernice and his partner Bianca. Having had my fair share of dance partners with varying levels of patience, I can empathize with both sides to some extent.
According to his friends, when Amanda Abbington tearfully informed Giovanni Pernice about discovering lumps in her breasts, he responded in an exceptionally considerate and gallant manner.
The Italian dancer shared phone numbers of doctors he’d personally vouched for, which were given to her.
Afterward, she no longer reached out to him, as she eventually withdrew from the ballroom contest. She informed the Strictly executives that she suspected she might have cancer and decided to leave.
Following her emotional disclosure about her health crisis in a weekend newspaper interview, the persistent story surrounding Abbington’s unexpected exit from Strictly Come Dancing last October has taken an unexpected twist. This tale, which has been repeated frequently, involving her alleged mistreatment and bullying during rehearsals that led to PTSD, now seems puzzlingly complex.
According to the BBC source, it’s widely believed that Amanda departed due to her discovery of breast lumps, which caused her reasonable concern about potentially having cancer.
As an ardent follower, I can’t help but feel the deepest empathy when someone goes through a challenging time, like Amanda. It was heartwarming to witness the outpouring of kindness during those trying moments. Gio, ever the caring soul, was deeply concerned and yearned to extend a helping hand in any capacity possible.
‘The next thing is that she has PTSD… the scenario changed. None of it made sense. She has said she left for a totally different medical reason. The whole thing seemed bizarre.’
Over the past five months, I’ve been following the BBC investigation into Abbington’s accusations closely, and last week, it finally concluded with a report. Out of the 17 complaints she had made against her 34-year-old dance partner, six were substantiated. More recently, the 50-year-old Sherlock actress, who left the show in week six, disclosed some personal details about her cancer ordeal, stating that it was this health crisis that led to her departure.
She mentioned that during her last week, specifically on a Thursday morning while taking a shower, she discovered two unusual lumps. Previously, she had received a clean bill of health following a mammography examination a few months prior.
After an extremely demanding practice session, she mentioned that she left to use the restroom, returned and shared that she intended to visit the hospital immediately, as she had discovered two lumps in her breast that very morning. In an interview with The Sun on Sunday, she expressed that departing from the rehearsal was a wiser choice than remaining in the room due to health concerns.
Luckily for her, the lumps turned out to be harmless later on.
They both have differing opinions about who requested the installation of cameras during the studio session when she reported concerns about him to the BBC.
Additionally, Abbington alleges that the BBC ignored her requests for video recordings, a point of dispute between them, as Pernice claims he too had requested this footage. Subsequently, following instructions from Abbington’s London-based legal firm Carter-Ruck to lodge a formal complaint, the BBC initiated its own investigation in April.
It is understood that Abbington is being represented on a pro-bono basis.
In her July interview on Channel 4 with Krishnan Guru-Murthy, she hinted at seeking compensation. Last week’s news indicated that she might take the matter to court.
In her recent interview on Newsnight, she mentioned that she’s taking things one day at a time, evaluating her circumstances carefully. It’s being reported that the BBC isn’t too pleased with the prospect of having to make a large payment.
One source mentioned that Amanda might face a difficult situation ahead, as the BBC has already issued an apology and provided her with an opportunity to share her perspective on Newsnight.
‘The BBC feels it has been very good to her but it will be interesting to see what she does next.’
Despite not having spoken on the matter himself, Pernice’s representative issued a critical statement over the weekend, alleging that Abbington distorted the conclusions of the investigation.
She stated: ‘The BBC completed its assessment around a week back. It’s troubling to see that Ms Abbington seems determined to repeatedly distort the findings of the review during her appearances on television and in newspapers.’
‘Giovanni is focusing on his job on Ballando con le Stelle [the Italian version of the show] and supporting his partner Bianca, and hopes that Ms Abbington can soon accept the review’s findings and look to the future.’
The main issues validated during the investigation were primarily milder concerns, such as an instance where Pernice remarked to Abbington, “Your talent is going unused.
He was also confirmed to have used belittling language.
Simultaneously, the ballroom celebrity was likewise convicted for providing unfavorable comments, one instance being him raising his arms and uttering an expletive ‘f***.’ Consequently, Pernice was warned by the BBC that he failed to adjust sufficiently to Abbington’s requirements.
Among the two instances that were confirmed as being of a sexually suggestive nature, one involved Pernice making an explicit gesture towards his groin and uttering inappropriate words. Additionally, he made a suggestive comment to his dance partner stating that he wanted to have sexual intercourse with her.
Following an impressive maneuver by Abbington in the training facility, Pernice expressed his excitement.
Giovanni is said to be becoming increasingly furious at Abbington slinging mud at him.
‘He doesn’t know when she is going to stop,’ said one pal.
‘We have no idea what she is going to do next, it is becoming absolutely ridiculous.’
Pernice’s frustrations are perhaps not surprising.
In Abbington’s interview with a newspaper, she put forth additional statements concerning Pernice that did not stand up during the BBC’s examination.
Supporters of the celebrity, who hails from Sicily, suggest that he may have used an insensitive term when referring to a friend, allegedly calling her “lazy” instead of “vegetable,” which she found deeply hurtful due to her fiancé’s disability status.
The report accepted that it was not a form of bullying.
Rather than labeling her as indolent, I firmly believe the investigators agreed with Pernice’s perspective that he was simply referring to her stance – not implying any laziness on her part.
According to a reliable source, Gio explained that he employed the term ‘vegetable’ in reference to Amanda’s weak arm postures during their conversation. Additionally, he pointed out a communication issue. The inquiry found these explanations acceptable.
The actress additionally stated that Pernice often told her she was a ‘woman going through menopause, yet I’d still be attracted to you’. It’s reported that those close to him affirm Abbington would refer to herself as ‘a woman experiencing menopause – a fact acknowledged by the investigators in their 30-page report.
The review stated that there was no proof found to back up the claim that those specific words, including ‘I’d f*** you’, were used together with the statement about Abbington being a menopausal woman, as alleged.
They inform me that Gio is around thirty years old. It’s unlikely he’d have any familiarity with menopause, either in understanding its concept or using it as a derogatory term. However, that’s how Amanda would characterize herself humorously towards Gio.
Supporters of the ex-Strictly dancer affirm that his camaraderie with Abbington was indeed friendly and jocular.
A friend said: ‘Contrary to what Amanda is now saying, the pair of them had a laugh together a lot.
Unfortunately, it seems she has forgotten about this and seems determined to make him endure pain, with hopes that the BBC will compensate.
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2024-10-07 04:25