Strictly Come DancingIssues Apology to Amanda Abbington After Investigation Into Her Complaints of Abusive Behavior

Mar. 15, 2025

Giovanni Pernice and Amanda Abbington on ‘Strictly Come Dancing’.Photo:Ray Burniston/BBC/PA Wire

Ray Burniston/BBC/PA Wire

Strictly Come Dancinghas issued an apology toAmanda Abbingtonaftershe accused her partner Giovanni Pernice of “abusive, cruel and mean” behaviorduring her time on the show.

Abbington, 50, competed on season 21 of the BBC show last year but quit mid-way through the season and then accused Pernice, 34, of mistreating her behind the scenes. She raised her concerns with the network, which investigated the complaints and issued a statement on Monday, Sept. 30 regarding their findings.

“We have assessed the complaints and we have upheld some, but not all, of the complaints made,” BBC said in a statement shared with PEOPLE. “We want to apologize to Amanda Abbington and to thank her for coming forward and taking part. We know this would not have been an easy thing to do.”

“We take any allegations of bullying and harassment very seriously and this review has taken time due to its complex nature and our desire to ensure a rigorous and robust process was undertaken,” the statement continued.

“Strictly Come Dancingis a family show and we rightly expect very high standards. While competition can be tough, rigorous and demanding, we want the show to ultimately be a joyous and transformative experience. It is a great shame if this hasn’t been the case for everyone who has appeared on the show.”

PEOPLE has reached out to Pernice’s reps for comment.

Giovanni Pernice and Amanda Abbington on Strictly Come Dancing.Ray Burniston/BBC/PA Wire

In July, Abbington detailed her experience onStrictly— the predecessor ofDancing with the Stars— in an interview withThe Sun, saying she thought “long and hard about making a complaint because I knew the backlash I would get.”

“I couldn’t stand back and let him do that to other people,” she said of Pernice’s treatment of her.

TheSherlockactress also claimed that BBC “knew about Giovanni’s behavior for years, people had complained about him and flagged his behavior to producers in the past and nothing was done.”

“It wasn’t an isolated experience with me. I should never ever have danced with him.”

Amanda Abbington arrives at the UK premiere of ‘Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One’ on June 22, 2023.Ian West/PA Images/Getty

Ian West/PA Images/Getty

Pernice issued various denials on Instagram, writing inone statementthat he “reject[s] any suggestion of abusive or threatening behavior” and looks “forward to clearing [his] name.”

Days after he was not included on thelineupforStrictly Come Dancing’s 2024 season, he issued anotherstatementon Instagram and said he is “cooperating fully with the ongoing BBC investigation, which will determine the truth.”

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“We never tolerate unacceptable behavior of any kind,” he said while promising “changes” to the show, which included having a member of production in all rehearsals, two dedicated welfare producers on site and additional training for the production team and crew.

source: people.com