Amanda Abbington claims Giovanni Pernice made ‘sexual gestures’ at her during Strictly…

3 October 2024, 09:19 | Up to date: 3 October 2024, 12:55

Amanda Abbington has detailed a ‘litany… of innuendo’ levelled in direction of her by Giovanni Pernice, as she addressed a BBC investigation into behaviour and conduct on the present.

The investigation into the actress’s complaints about Pernice was launched earlier this yr, with the BBC upholding “some, however not all” of the allegations made in opposition to the skilled dancer in a evaluate.

The actress, who pulled out of the present final yr citing “private causes”, later claimed she was topic to a “poisonous setting” and “inappropriate, imply, nasty bullying”.

Regardless of receiving “tons of” of loss of life and rape threats, the 50-year-old Sherlock star stated she has “no regrets” about lodging complaints in opposition to her former dance companion.

She informed Newsnight’s Victoria Derbyshire: “It was an ongoing litany of being verbally abused.”

“There was a 35 minute rant at me with him throwing his fingers within the air and calling me names and the way he could not address it anymore.”

Nevertheless, a spokesman for Giovanni informed The Solar: “It is disappointing that Ms Abbington would knowingly mislead the result of the report as a way to additional injury Giovanni’s popularity.

“Whereas Ms Abbington could not like the result of the six month investigation, she mustn’t search to unfold false and defamatory claims.”

Abbington additionally informed BBC Newsnight “It has been one of many worst years of my life.

“I have been by means of rather a lot, girls undergo rather a lot, however it has been a really disagreeable, turbulent, relentless time in my life.

“I’ve needed to take care of a myriad of horrible issues.”

The actress stated within the final eight months, the variety of threats she has obtained had “gone into the tons of” – together with one in opposition to her teenage daughter.

She has not dominated out taking authorized motion in opposition to the BBC after a few of her complaints had been upheld.

In August, the Metropolitan Police confirmed they had been investigating after they had been referred to as to the Park Theatre in Finsbury Park to an alleged loss of life menace despatched to Abbington, who was starring in When It Occurs To You.

“I had a reputable loss of life menace despatched to my workplace, a theatre that I used to be working at, which was credible and the police needed to be referred to as,” Abbington stated.

“I had a bomb menace despatched to my workplace, threatening to blow the increase as a result of I used to be pursuing this.

“I’ve had loss of life threats despatched to me, my household.

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“I’ve had rape threats despatched to my 15-year-old daughter, saying ‘I am simply laughing in the mean time fascinated with you having to observe your daughter get raped for what you’ve got performed to Giovanni Pernice’.

“They had been day-after-day I might be getting these and I’ve screenshots which were handed over to the Met Police.” Abbington stated the threats had “began up once more” for the reason that publication of the BBC evaluate on Monday.

She stated she has been receiving threats together with “I hope you die of most cancers” and “I knew you’d get confirmed unsuitable you mendacity c***”.

BBC apologises to Abbington over Strictly as Pernice cleared of abuse claims

Regardless of the threats, Abbington stated “I’ve obtained no regrets” about lodging complaints in opposition to Pernice.

“The loss of life threats and the rape threats and the abuse I get are horrible and soul-destroying and heart-breaking,” she stated.

“However I do get girls coming as much as me on the street saying ‘you are paving the best way for my daughter to work in a secure setting and never really feel threatened or in any method really feel that they can not converse out’.”

Through the interview, Abbington additionally claimed she was not the one individual to have complained about working with Pernice on the flagship present.

She stated she invited the previous Strictly contestants to her house as a result of “we needed to verify we weren’t on our personal considering this had simply occurred to us”.

Abbington stated once they first met “all of us burst into tears”.

Pernice has denied allegations in opposition to him.

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‘Unresolved’

A evaluate printed this week “upheld some, however not all, of the complaints made” in opposition to skilled dancer Pernice.

In response, Ms Abbington stated: “There is a 30-page report that me and my attorneys are nonetheless digesting.

“There are nonetheless issues in there which might be unresolved.”

Abbington claimed that there was a “important motive” that a few of the allegations in opposition to Pernice weren’t upheld, and that her workforce will probably be “investigating that additional”.

When requested if she is contemplating bringing a lawsuit in opposition to the BBC, the 50-year-old stated: “I am taking steering from my lawyer, who has simply been so superb all through this entire factor.

“She’s been the driving power and has helped me, as a result of there’s been instances after I’ve simply thought, is that this value it.

“I am taking recommendation from her, and on a day-to-day foundation.”

Abbington stated there had been “loads of misinformation” following the publication of the BBC report, which appeared to decrease the seriousness of the case.

“What has been stated in the mean time out there may be simply not true,” she stated. “There have been some very severe issues that went on, they usually had been upheld by the BBC.

“There have been breaches of all of the codes of conduct throughout the organisation.”

The BBC beforehand apologised to Abbington and thanked her for coming ahead.

“On the time, though the manufacturing workforce took steps to handle the problems as they understood them, in the end these weren’t sufficient. For this reason the measures we’ve got taken to additional strengthen our current protocols are so vital,” the BBC stated.

A spokeswoman for Giovanni Pernice beforehand welcomed the BBC evaluate, saying they’re “happy that this six-month evaluate has not discovered any proof of threatening or abusive behaviour by Giovanni”.