Amanda Abbington has been silent since the news that Giovanni Pernice would not be returning to Strictly Come Dancing this year, but was back on BBC screens with eagle-eyed viewers spotting a subtle dig.
On Wednesday night, the final episode of the ninth and final series of Inside No 9 ended with a metacommentary-esque row between stars Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton as they acted out a bust-up at the wrap party.
Within the scene, Abbington returned playing a fictional version of herself at the wrap party, walking into a gender-neutral toilet – something which she faced backlash for in the past over resurfaced “drag” tweets.
In one of the tweets, she criticised a clip of a young child performing in drag in front of adults which prompted some to accuse her of transphobia.
She hit back on her now-deleted account: “I never mentioned the trans community! How on earth is my post transphobic? I’m saying you do not perform that kind of act in front of BABIES. It’s abhorrent.”
She also said in another separate tweet [via the Daily Mail]: “If you don’t actually have proper, real breast milk in your breasts, just don’t try and breastfeed your baby.”
Viewers of Inside No 9. were quick to notice the reference, and led one X user to note: “Inside no 9 finale was lovely. Bordered on self-indulgent but they’re allowed that. Amanda Abbington going into a gender-neutral bathroom is the most fantastical element of the story.”
“The big twist in the last #InsideNo9 is Amanda Abbington using a gender-neutral toilet,” another quipped before a third added: “Definitely subtle dig at ‘gender neutral toilets’ in #InsideNo9 last night.
“It’s great it’s equality …. And you get to look at the ladies’. And of course, Amanda Abbington returned looking fab.”
Someone else said: “Amanda Abbington walking into gender-neutral toilets after she was slammed for her comments last year… brilliant! Glad to see her back on my screen!” (sic)
Amanda returned to BBC screens during the final of Inside No 9
BBC
When her arrival on Strictly was announced, many long-term fans threatened to “boycott” the show due to her signing, which led her to hit out: “Now, I need to make this very clear. I love drag.
“I think it’s an amazing form of entertainment and I f*****g love drag queens. I think they’re hilarious and brilliant, and it’s an art form. And I think there’s absolutely a place for it in the entertainment industry…
“I didn’t associate it with the trans community, nor would I associate that with the trans community because I think they’re two separate things. I’m not transphobic, I’m not a transphobic person, I’m a firm supporter of the legitimate trans community, I always have been.”
She continued: “I’ve said stupid things, of course I have, and I instantly regretted them. Everybody is learning. We need to take a breath and take a beat. But I didn’t associate it with the trans community nor would I.
Amanda and Giovanni have been at loggerheads since she left the BBC show
BBC
“So I’m sorry if you feel like you need to boycott Strictly for a tweet I made about a drag show but I don’t think 12-year-olds should be doing overly-sexualised drag acts. That’s my personal opinion and I’m not pushing it on anyone else.
“I’m an ally of the LGBT community and I’m an ally of women’s rights and I’m an ally of kids being kids, and I’m an ally of live and let live.”