Days after the BBC published the results of its lengthy investigation into complaints made by actress Amanda Abbington against her 2023 Strictly partner Giovanni Pernice, the debate around the scandal refuses to go away.
Although the BBC apologised to Abbington, and upheld some of her claims about verbal bullying and harassment, it cleared Pernice of the most serious allegations of physical aggression.
The result is that both sides have been claiming victory.
Sherlock actress Abbington called the BBC’s apology a ‘vindication’ of her stance. For his part, Pernice was ‘pleased’ with the result of the investigation and ‘relieved that the overwhelming majority of allegations had not been upheld’.
So what are Strictly fans to make of it all? Here, KATIE HIND, who has been following every twist, twirl and quickstep of this gripping ballroom drama, reveals ten behind-the-scenes nuggets of inside information that make it all the more extraordinary…
1 While it appears no secret that Amanda wanted Giovanni’s former partners to back her claims that he was a bully, few of them did. Although former Love Island host Laura Whitmore, who was partnered with him in 2016, says she raised concerns about his behaviour with the BBC at the time, she is the only one to have publicly lambasted him.
While it appears no secret that Amanda wanted Giovanni’s former partners to back her claims that he was a bully, few of them did. Although former Love Island host Laura Whitmore, who was partnered with him in 2016, says she raised concerns about his behaviour with the BBC at the time, she is the only one to have publicly lambasted him.
While it appears no secret that Amanda wanted Giovanni’s former partners to back her claims that he was a bully, few of them did. Although former Love Island host Laura Whitmore, who was partnered with him in 2016, says she raised concerns about his behaviour with the BBC at the time, she is the only one to have publicly lambasted him.
Despite accusations that he was rude to singer Faye Tozer, she refused to make any comment to me, neither did actress Rose Ayling-Ellis, with whom he won the glitter ball trophy in 2021.
TV presenter Richie Anderson, who was rumoured to dislike Giovanni, also kept quiet in public.
Meanwhile, despite Amanda meeting Good Morning Britain star Ranvir Singh for a ‘summit’ to discuss her woes, she is said to have been thrilled that Giovanni got her to the semi-final in 2020.
My source said: ‘They had a tricky start, but then Ranvir decided he was rather brilliant for getting her so far.’ Even today, Ranvir’s social-media profile picture is of her performing on Strictly.
Meanwhile, Paul Daniels’ widow Debbie McGee said: ‘My experience on Strictly will always be happy and life-changing. Gio nurtured me through my grief and gave me confidence I could do things I thought were beyond me.’ Debbie also spoke to the BBC investigators and gave him a glowing report.
2 For weeks Amanda insisted she and Giovanni were friends; in fact, she described him as a ‘legend’.
After rumours circulated that they were at loggerheads in September last year and that she was on the verge of quitting Strictly due to his abrasive training techniques, she told her fans on Instagram that Gio was ‘hugely talented’.
She added to her post a picture of her beaming with happiness: ‘The smile you give your pro partner at the end of the camera rehearsal when you know you are in safe and hugely talented hands. Giovanni Pernice ya legend, see you all tomorrow.’
3 While tempers may have frayed at times between Sicilian star Giovanni and Amanda, he thought she was a very talented dancer and even that she could win the show.
Friends of Giovanni’s say she had the potential and that he was disappointed when she decided to quit. They told me: ‘Amanda was a nightmare for Giovanni at times and he felt she didn’t always apply herself, but when she did decide to end her time on the show he was down about it – he thought he could have got her to the final and won. He knows talent when he sees it and he saw it in her.’
4 Giovanni was all set to appear in this year’s series even though Amanda had made informal complaints about him to the BBC.
He was called in for a meeting in March where he was told by Strictly’s highest echelons that they wanted him back. He was thrilled and was ‘dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s’.
However, just days after this newspaper printed details of his planned return, Amanda instructed legal firm Carter-Ruck to make a formal complaint to the BBC.
Then, Giovanni decided to quit the show, despite pleas from his colleagues at the broadcaster not to.
‘He didn’t need the hassle,’ said one. The BBC was furious, another insider said: ‘We wanted him back for the 20th anniversary. We were so disappointed.’
5 BBC bosses ‘deeply regret’ pairing Giovanni with Amanda. With hindsight, I’m told, they wish they had put him with Irish television presenter Angela Scanlon and Amanda with the ‘much softer’ pro dancer Carlos Gu. They believe that neither couple would have clashed and the scandal would never have imploded.
‘Angela wanted to win, like Gio,’ said a show insider. ‘She was tough and up for the challenge; she would have thrived with Gio while Carlos would have been more like a pussy cat with Amanda.’
I’m told that bosses are now looking more carefully at how they match partners following the ‘mistake’ of putting Amanda and Giovanni together.
6 After Amanda told presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy in a bombshell interview on Channel 4 News that her complaint about Gio was of a sexual nature, her lawyers freaked out and insisted that ITV could not mention it during their interview with her the next day.
Presenter Christine Lampard quizzed her on the Lorraine show, but viewers were left surprised when she did not ask a follow-up question about the claim which had been aired the night before.
I’m told: ‘Amanda’s team didn’t want her to talk about it again, maybe because Giovanni’s lawyers intervened.’
Incidentally, while Krishnan claimed to be on Team Amanda, he also tried to woo Giovanni for an interview.
7 Giovanni was secretly supported not only by the Strictly judges but by hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.
Anton du Beke, Craig Revel Horwood and Shirley Ballas all ‘regularly’ checked in on him while Claudia and Tess told those they worked with in the television industry that they backed him.
‘Gio was part of the Strictly family and they simply didn’t think he was a bad person,’ said one insider.
8 Amanda was a tough cookie as a child. She was a ballerina from the age of three to 16 and so determined to be the very best that her feet would regularly bleed in her ballet shoes during her gruelling training sessions.
She also put up with huge criticism in her dancing days and later studied at Laine Theatre Arts in Epsom, Surrey, which was close to where she grew up.
9 In May, sources close to Amanda complained that Giovanni had stamped on her foot during training. This was not upheld by the BBC’s investigators, which I can reveal, deemed it part and parcel of ballroom dancing. Although it was recommended that Giovanni should have given her more space.
10 His nine years on Strictly were ‘delightfully happy’ for Giovanni, said one of his friends. But he has been left devastated by Amanda’s claims and will never return to the UK version of the show.
‘Gio’s Strictly career is over now,’ said a source close to him. ‘He loved it while it lasted but sometimes you have to move on.’
Giovanni was also offered the opportunity of taking part on ITV show I’m A Celebrity… but turned it down to appear on the Italian version of Strictly, Ballando con le Stelle.