Amanda Abbington has revealed she held a summit with other Strictly Come Dancing contestants in her own home to swap stories about her treatment on the show.
The actress, 52, said she is considering taking further action against the BBC after the corporation apologized following her complaints about her professional dancer Giovanni Pernice, 34.
In an interview with Victoria Derbyshire on Newsnight on Wednesday, Abbington described his experience in the rehearsal room with Pernice, where he said he “lost all sense of reality”.
she added met up with other celebrities who previously collaborated with Pernice on the BBC show.
Revealing that he invited the group to his home, Abbington said: “We all cried, we all burst into tears.”
“We just wanted to make sure we weren’t alone and think this just happened to us.”
“Everyone I talked to said the same thing, it wasn’t pleasant and it wasn’t what everyone else was going through in the other (rehearsal) rooms.”
Amanda Abbington claimed she “lost all sense of reality” in the rehearsal room with Giovanni Pernice
The actress, 52, said she is considering taking further action against the BBC after the Corporation apologized to her following her complaints about Pernice, 34.
The actress told Newnight when asked how she will proceed now that the report has been released, that she is “receiving guidance from my attorney on a day-to-day basis.”
Of 17 allegations, the BBC confirmed six, some of which concern Pernice using profanity. The report found that his language could be “disparaging.”
The BBC also agreed with Abbington that he sometimes seemed to give her feedback that was too negative.
Abbington also believes there is a “significant” reason why he believes other allegations he made were not substantiated.
The star told Newsnight that the ordeal after working with Pernice had been the most difficult of her life.
“It’s been one of the worst years of my life, I’ve been through a lot, women go through a lot,” she said.
“I’ve had to deal with countless horrible things that have continued to happen just because I complained.”
In an interview with Victoria Derbyshire on Newsnight, Abbington described his experience in the rehearsal room with Pernice, where he said he “lost all sense of reality”.
Ms Abbington claimed: “When he did a dance move right, he would outline his erection in his pants and tell me that my dance move had made it happen.”
He added: “It was very difficult, when you’re in a bubble of that for seven hours a day, you lose all sense of reality.”
Abbington also said he first complained to Strictly producers after “about three or four days” and said they were “very sorry.”
Soon after, cameras were placed in their rehearsals.
Abbington insisted she did not take the decision to complain to BBC producers lightly, explaining: “I am open to criticism.” I don’t create problems or problems where there aren’t any.’
‘I have worked for 32 years as an actress, in a job that started the Me Too movement, and I have never had to leave a job or experience anything like what I experienced in that rehearsal room. I never make accusations lightly.
On Tuesday it was revealed that among the six complaints confirmed by the Corporation’s human resources bosses against professional dancer Pernice was a comment in which he told Abbington: “You have talent and you are not using it.”
The actress said that “she is receiving guidance from my lawyer on a day-to-day basis.”
A spokesman for Pernice said they disagreed with Abbington’s interpretation of the report and called it a new attempt to damage Giovanni’s reputation.
It is one of Mr Pernice’s misdeeds that can now be revealed after the long-awaited verdict was released on Monday clearing him of the most serious allegations of physical assault but upholding verbal harassment and intimidation.
Meanwhile, Giovanni said he was “pleased” to have been cleared of “threatening and abusive behaviour”.
The report also told how they had confirmed six of Ms Abbington’s 17 allegations. The report said Pernice, a perfectionist, “was swearing and using what could be described as derogatory language,” which it said amounted to bullying behavior.
The BBC apologized to the former Sherlock actress and also thanked her for coming forward to raise her complaints.
Reporting into the six-month investigation which cost license payers more than £250,000, investigators found the Italian dance star had used derogatory language. On another occasion he said: ‘I’m tired of this, if you want to look shit I don’t care.’
The panel also upheld Ms Abbington’s complaint that Mr Pernice would become frustrated with her while teaching her to dance. However, it can be revealed that he told her: ‘You have so much talent and you’re not using it.’
On another occasion he told him: ‘I don’t know how to ask you anymore’, while in another comment he told him ‘it’s been four days and I don’t know what to do’, which was also considered illegal. behavior.
In another outburst, Pernice, 34, said ‘fuck’ while teaching her how to do a routine.
The Sherlock actress complained about her treatment on the 2023 show
Pernice’s spokesman said the dancer is “relieved” after the “majority” of the lawsuits against him were dismissed.
Meanwhile, the allegation that the Sicilian-born ballroom dancing star had also given negative comments was confirmed, an example of which was him throwing his arms in the air and saying ‘fuck’. As a result, the BBC told Pernice that he had not sufficiently accommodated Abbington’s needs.
Of the two complaints of a sexual nature that were considered, one saw Mr. Pernice grab his crotch and utter an obscene comment. He also told his dance partner that he “wanted to fuck her.” That comment came after Ms. Abbington made a big move in the training studio and Mr. Pernice was excited.
Although the BBC dismissed many of Ms Abbington’s serious allegations, they apologized to her. In a statement issued on Monday, they said: “The BBC has concluded its review of the complaints made by Amanda Abbington against Giovanni Pernice.
‘We have evaluated the complaints and have accepted some, but not all, of the complaints submitted. We want to apologize to Amanda Abbington and thank her for coming forward and participating.
“We know this would not have been an easy thing to do.”
In response, Ms Abbington said: ‘As the BBC has indicated in its statement today, my decision to come forward and complain about Giovanni Pernice’s conduct towards me was not an easy one to make.
“In the days, weeks and months since I contacted the BBC, I have been accused of being a liar, a troublemaker and ‘crazy and unstable.’
The BBC launched an investigation in April after Abbington made a formal complaint to them about Pernice.
It came three months after she told a leading newspaper she was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder from her time on Strictly.
Speaking of the end of the review, Pernice told the Mail: “I’m glad the review has finally come to an end.” I am relieved that the allegations that I was threatening and abusive were found to be untrue.
‘It has been an extremely difficult year, reading story after story and not being able to say anything back because I respected the integrity of the review, something the BBC asked everyone to do.
‘I loved my time on Strictly and made some amazing memories. But now I’m completely focused on Dancing With The Stars in Italy and supporting my dance partner Bianca.
“I am grateful to everyone who has supported me through this time. I truly don’t know how I would have gotten through this without the love and trust of my family, friends, colleagues and fans.”
