Giovanni Pernice has explained why he got “frustrated” with Amanda Abbington in the Strictly Come Dancing rehearsal room.
The result of the BBC’s six-month investigation into the Italian dancer’s behind-the-scene behaviour was announced on Monday (30 September), with six of Abbington’s complaints upheld by the corporation. The actor, who was coupled with Pernice on last year’s series, received an official apology.
Sherlock star Abbington’s complaints of verbal bullying and harassment were upheld, while the BBC’s findings concluded that Pernice was not physically aggressive to his celebrity partner, which the dancer declared a victory.
A spokesperson said that Pernice was pleased” the report “has not found any evidence of threatening or abusive behaviour”, adding: “Giovanni is relieved that the overwhelming majority of allegations out to the BBC have not been upheld.”
Shortly after, Pernice spoke candidly about the result on Instagram, telling his fans: “It’s over. It’s finished. Seven months of reading everyday things in the newspaper and not be able to respond because I wanted to keep the confidentiality and privacy of the review was a difficult time. It was difficult because, you know, reading stuff that was untrue, wasn’t the nicest time of my life, let’s be honest.”
He then shed light on what went down in the rehearsal room, explaining why he often gets frustrated with the celebrities he’s partnered with
“Today is a day when we can all reflect because I appreciate that dancing is a very difficult thing to do. It’s a sport, it’s something that is difficult in every possible way and sometimes you get frustrated as a teacher, as a dancer, as a performer.
“But the only reason why you get frustrated is because you care about what you do.”
He continued: “You know, as a professional, as a teacher, I want to get the best out of my partner and sometimes I do get frustrated. I think everybody around the world does the same thing – it’s called being professional and I love, I love doing that.
He said that “even now” he “gets frustrated” with Bianca Guaccero, the actor and singer he’s coupled with on the Italian version of Dancing with the Stars, which he joined after stepping away from Strictly.
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“I think it’s a normal thing but then you get out the best and the results come forward,” he said.
Announcing the result of the investigation on Monday (30 September), the BBC said: “We have assessed the complaints and we have upheld some, but not all, of the complaints made. Strictly Come Dancing is 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.
“We want to apologise 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.”
The corporation said the findings had taken a long time to be announced due to the “complex nature” of Abbington’s complaints, adding that “a rigorous and robust process” had been carried out.
Abbington said the BBC’s apology “meant a lot” to her in a statement reading: “As the BBC has indicated today in its statement, my decision to come forward and complain about Giovanni Pernice’s conduct towards me was not an easy thing to do.
“In the days, weeks and months since I contacted the BBC, I’ve been accused of being a liar, a troublemaker and of being ‘mad and unstable’. I’ve also received rape and murder threats and a bomb threat was sent to my place of work. My family and children have also been subjected to threats and intimidation.
She continued: “Despite this vile abuse, I’ve never regretted coming forward, and today’s apology from the BBC is a vindication of my complaint. It’s not just a vindication for me, it’s a vindication for the other people who have contacted me since I made my complaint to express concerns about their own experiences on Strictly Come Dancing. I hope those who have felt unable to speak out now will be more confident that they will be listened to and believed.”
Abbington suddenly quit Strictly five episodes into the 2023 series, citing medical reasons. Her allegations against Pernice, whom she has branded “nasty”, first surfaced in January 2024, and she has repeatedly accused him of misconduct in the rehearsal room.
In August 2024, it was reported that Abbington was “questioned a second time” about her claims against Pernice after she alleged the dancer made sexual comments in the rehearsal room.
Also last month, in an interview with Krishnan Guru-Murthy for Channel 4 News, Abbington claimed that the show’s producers installed cameras in her rehearsal room after she raised concerns about Pernice.
“Every Friday, after the next sort of five weeks, I would get the producer saying, on the Friday, ‘We just watched the footage back, we are shocked and horrified, we’re so sorry.’ That was to my face on the Friday when we would go in and do the camera rehearsal,” she said.
“It’s out there. There is evidence out there of what happened in that room and I’m not the one who’s blocking it. I’ve said anyone can watch it, but he [Giovanni] doesn’t want anyone to see it, which is quite telling if he’s got nothing to hide.”
Asked by Guru-Murthy if she was talking about bullying, she replied: “Yes, it’s bullying and it’s aggressive behaviour, there were other things that were very upsetting, that you manage in the room at the time, because you’re a woman, and you have to manage those things because otherwise, what do you do?”