Amanda Abbington heads to Strictly rehearsals with partner Giovanni Pernice ahead of second live show – after pair hit back at feud claims
Amanda Abbington and her dance partner Giovanni Pernice arrived on Friday for another day of Strictly Come Dancing rehearsals.
The pair will take to the floor on Saturday for the second live show, before the first couple is eliminated from the competition.
After hitting back at claims she ‘threatened’ to quit the show, Amanda was in good spirits as she headed to training, wearing an oversized black jumper and matching trousers.
She and Giovanni will dance a salsa to Gloria Estefan’s Oye in an attempt to avoid being the first couple to be voted out.
Earlier on Saturday, Sherlock star Amanda shared a video on Instagram in which she dismissed rumors of clashes with Giovanni in a foul-mouthed rant.
Stepping out: Amanda Abbington and her dance partner Giovanni Pernice arrived on Friday for another day of Strictly Come Dancing rehearsals
Beaming: After hitting back at claims she ‘threatened’ to quit the show, the Sherlock star was in good spirits as she headed to training
It follows that she was ‘affected’ by his ‘militant and aggressive’ training style, with tensions escalating between the pair.
But Amanda hit back, saying she was ‘ignoring the bulls***’ as she insisted all was well between her and Giovanni.
The duo then took to the floor performing an elegant Viennese Waltz to Pointless by Lewis Capaldi, which earned a respectable 29 points from the judges.
Seemingly addressing the claims about the feud, she said: ‘Ignore the bulls*** because it’s clear people are t****.’
Launching a profanity-filled rant, she continued, “Just stop it, stop it, grow up. Nobody gives a shit. Shut up, it’s nonsense, so fuck off.’
Amanda had taken to her Instagram Stories to share a photo of her beaming during rehearsals and gushed about ‘hugely talented’ Giovanni in an accompanying caption.
She wrote: ‘The smile you give your professional partner at the end of camera rehearsal when you know you are in safe and immensely talented hands. Giovanni Pernice, your legend, see you all tomorrow.”
Giovanni then shared her post on his own Instagram Stories and admitted he was ‘extremely proud’ of his dance partner as they proved they have a strong bond.
Row: Earlier on Saturday, Sherlock star Amanda shared a video on Instagram in which she dismissed rumors of clashes with Giovanni in a foul-mouthed rant
Drama: It follows that she was ‘affected’ by Giovanni’s ‘militant and aggressive’ training style, escalating tensions between the pair
Solid: The duo then took to the floor as they performed an elegant Viennese waltz to Lewis Capaldi’s Pointless, which earned a respectable 29 points from the judges
Not for long! She and Giovanni will dance a salsa to Gloria Estefan’s Oye during the second live show on Saturday in a bid to avoid being the first couple to be voted out
Here they come! Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola were also spotted heading to training together
Low key: The Coronation Street cut a casual figure in comfortable black sportswear as she left the studio
“I don’t usually say these things early (as everyone probably knows), but I’m extremely proud of you and I can’t wait for people to see what we’ve created,” he wrote.
It comes after it was claimed Amanda threatened to quit Strictly before the first live show due to clashes with her dance partner Giovanni.
According to The sunthe duo were at loggerheads, with Amanda wanting to quit for hours before taking to the iconic BBC dance floor for the first time.
A source told the publication: ‘Giovanni is a tough taskmaster and takes competition very, very seriously.’
They went on to label his teaching style as ‘incredibly abrupt’, which can sometimes ‘upset his partners’.
“Amanda was really looking forward to dancing with him but found his aggressive training style and attitude quite difficult to deal with,” she added.
‘He’s quite militant in his approach to training. She is very shocked and has discussed with her team about quitting.’
Strictly Come Dancing continues on Saturday at 6.15pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
Strictly Come Dancing 2023: Who are the couples?
Nigel Harman and Katya Jones
Bobby Brazier and Diane Buswell
Annabel Croft and Johannes Radebe
Zara McDermott and Graziano Di Prima
Amanda Abbington and Giovanni Pernice
Angela Rippon and Kai Widdrington
Krishnan Guru-Murthy and Lauren Oakley
Angela Scanlon and Carlos Gu
Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola
Adam Thomas and Luba Mushtuk
Jody Cundy and Jowita Przystał
Layton Williams and Nikita Kuzmin
Nikita Kanda and Gorka Marquez
Les Dennis and Nancy Xu
Eddie Kadi and Karen Hauer
