Former Strictly Come Dancing contestant Amanda Abbington says she would ‘cry and vomit’ after returning home from rehearsals with Giovanni Pernice.
The actress was paired with Italian ballroom specialist Pernice for the long-running BBC show’s 21st series in 2023, but abruptly withdrew just five weeks into the competition.
Pernice, 33, has since been suspended while a BBC probe is conducted over claims of off-camera misconduct made by Abbington, 50, and two other former celebrity dance partners.
Speaking to The Times, Abbington claims she has since received death threats from fans of the Italian dancer, whose long-term future on Strictly remains uncertain.
She said: ‘I’ve had the worst experience. The show was tough and horrible, but the aftermath of it I was not expecting. It’s been really brutal and it just hasn’t stopped.
Former Strictly Come Dancing contestant Amanda Abbington says she would ‘cry and vomit’ after returning home from rehearsals with Giovanni Pernice
The actress was paired with Italian ballroom specialist Pernice for the long-running BBC show’s 21st series in 2023, but abruptly withdrew just five weeks into the competition
‘It’s been awful, just relentless. Death threats and rape threats for just standing up for something that I thought was wrong.’
The actress also admitted she would become nauseous after completing rehearsals with Pernice, a fan favourite who had appeared on Strictly for eight years prior to his suspension.
Abbington’s husband Jonathan Goodwin, a former escapologist who was left paralysed in 2021 after a TV stunt went horribly wrong, also corroborated her claim of physical sickness.
She added: ‘He’d go, “Yes, you would come home and you’d vomit, you’d cry, and you’d think you were not good enough. You were a shadow, a shell.”‘
The investigation that began with accusations against Pernice has since widened after more complaints surrounding the hit show.
It has heaped further turmoil on Strictly, which is deemed to be the jewel in the Corporation’s crown and is still watched by more than ten million people.
Sources have told the Mail that the accusations have prompted bosses to extend the inquiry to look at other matters, and individuals, involved with the dance series as they prepare for its 20th anniversary.
It means that Pernice, who has already let his frustrations at the investigation be known, faces an even longer wait for an outcome after three former dance partners, including actress Abbington, instructed lawyers to make ‘serious complaints’ about his conduct.
Pernice has since been suspended while a BBC probe is conducted over claims of off-camera misconduct made by Abbington and two other former celebrity dance partners
Fellow dancer Graziano Di Prima has since been sacked by the show following similar claims of inappropriate behaviour towards Zara McDermott, with whom he was paired in 2023
It also threatens to damage Strictly, the BBC’s biggest Saturday night success story since The Generation Game.
A television source told the Mail: ‘This investigation is no longer just solely about Giovanni but other, more wider issues. The show has been going for 20 years and the whole veneer of Strictly is so sparkly and lovely, of course there will always be people who feel hard done by.
‘Amanda’s complaints have started something massive, it has opened the door for others to come forward about things they haven’t been happy with.
‘It is all a big headache for the BBC, it is about to celebrate a massive milestone with its 20th anniversary.
‘Having the Giovanni complaint has been a big enough issue, but now it looks like there is more to be scrutinised and looked into.’
Sources close to Pernice say that he fully expects to be exonerated.
Pernice quit the show following claims by Abbington, star of Sherlock and Mr Selfridge, that he bullied her in training, claims which he denies
Di Prima confirmed his departure from Strictly Come Dancing in an Instagram post on Friday
Insiders say also that the widened inquiry will now present the Sicilian star as possibly being a ‘small fish’ in Strictly’s potential downfall.
He quit the show following claims by Abbington, star of Sherlock and Mr Selfridge, that he bullied her in training, claims which he denies.
In May it was revealed that she had instructed London law firm Carter Ruck to represent her against the BBC.
The BBC refused to comment on the matter but it did confirm in a statement that more than one complaint has been made.
Fellow dancer Graziano Di Prima has since been sacked by the show following similar claims of inappropriate behaviour towards TV personality Zara McDermott, with whom he was paired in 2023.
Confirming his departure on Instagram, Di Prima wrote: ‘I deeply regret the events that led to my departure from Strictly. My intense passion and determination to win might have affected my training regime.
‘While respecting the BBC HR process, I acknowledge it’s only right for the sake of the show that I step away. I am saddened that I wasn’t allowed to offer a quote to the online news stories, and I take on board the sensitivity of the situation.
‘There’s more to this story that I am unable to discuss at this time, but I am committed to being strong for my family and friends. I wish the Strictly family nothing but success in the future.’
Presenter Laura Whitmore and dancer and choreographer Giovanni Pernice
Ranvir Singh and Giovanni Pernice during the dress rehearsal for Strictly Come Dancing 2020