During her first interview since the BBC published the findings of its Strictly ‘bullying’ investigation, Amanda Abbington revealed how she had suffered ‘one of the worst years of my life’.
Dressed in black and with her hair in a bun, the actress told sympathetic Newsnight presenter Victoria Derbyshire: “I’ve been through a lot.” Women go through a lot. But it has been a very unpleasant, turbulent and unforgiving time in my life.’
The “batch” Ms Abbington alluded to no doubt included the toxic fight with her former dance partner Giovanni Pernice.
But, as sources have noted, it may also have included the split from her long-term partner, fellow actor Martin Freeman. The couple, who have two children, were together for 16 years.
Amanda Abbington on Newsnight last week
Abbington with Giovanni Pernice in the 2023 series
Following the breakdown of their relationship in 2016, Ms Abbington previously revealed she felt she “didn’t have to be here anymore” and considered suicide.
Shortly before separating from Freeman, the 52-year-old went bankrupt. Meanwhile, he made millions from his appearances in The Hobbit films, going from the underperforming sales rep in the comedy The Office to becoming a bona fide Hollywood star.
In the process, Freeman, 53, found love again with a woman 22 years his junior, French actress Rachel Benaissa.
Mrs. Abbington, who raised her children most of the time, remained a working actress.
Today, Freeman has five on-screen roles ready for release or in pre-production and makes regular appearances on his lover’s Instagram, having experienced what one observer described as a “glow.”
It is no surprise that some involved in the recent BBC investigation are questioning whether the effects of their separation led Ms Abbington to continue “on and on” in the hope of being vindicated. A source said: ‘Amanda had a terrible time when she and Martin split. He felt completely helpless. It can’t have been easy to see him leave and then rebuild his life with a much younger woman.
‘He must have had some very dark periods where he had no control. But then Amanda found a degree of control in her case against her Strictly dance partner. It was like he felt like he could take the initiative and get what he wanted if he just kept going and going. Now he feels he has achieved just that.’
One source even goes so far as to question whether some of her anger and bitterness toward Freeman was redirected toward Pernice, suggesting that the Sicilian dancer became “an indirect punching bag for her ex.”
Friends of Pernice have claimed: ‘Something much deeper than simply her feeling of having been bullied and verbally harassed while training for Strictly was definitely driving her.
‘She wasn’t giving up. His drive to be right must have come from somewhere.
“But Gio finds it so unfair that he had to pay the price.”
Publishing its review of Abbington’s allegations against Pernice last week, the BBC apologized to the actress and upheld six of her 17 complaints.
However, the corporation cleared Pernice of allegations of physical assault, with the 34-year-old saying he was “glad we did not find any evidence of threatening or abusive behavior.”
Although some have seen the report’s verdict as a pyrrhic victory for Ms Abbington, she has said her motivation was to stand up for herself and encourage other women to do the same.
She told Newsnight: ‘Many women have approached me since I made this complaint, thanking me for being brave enough to stand up and complain about something that was affecting me in a work situation.
With his former partner Martin Freeman in The Debt
The actor, 53, and his girlfriend Raquel Benaissa, 31
‘Many women have approached me to ask if they could give me a hug. I did it for the women who came before me, who had gone through the same thing in that work environment.’
Freeman has reportedly been supporting Ms Abbington during her ordeal on Strictly, although he has not publicly expressed his support.
The couple met on the set of the 2000 film Men Only and worked together on several projects, including The Debt, The Good Night and The Robinsons.
Their on-screen chemistry was noted when they played husband and wife, John and Mary Watson, in BBC’s Sherlock alongside Benedict Cumberbatch.
In a candid interview, Freeman suggested it was difficult to stay faithful, saying: “I don’t think it’s realistic to assume that there won’t be other temptations, or that you won’t meet people who will turn your head.” At any point in your life there are several people you could happily have sex with.’
But the actor added: “I absolutely believe in monogamy. It’s hard to stay with one person, but I think it’s worth persevering.”
Initially, their split in 2016 was kept private. But Abbington later revealed that this severely affected her mental health, leaving her feeling like a “mess”.
She said: “I was breaking up with Martin and then I realized I needed to get myself together.” I hated myself.
Saying his mantra was “you can always kill yourself”, he added: “That was a genuine option for me, quite a few times.” “Then I won’t have to be such a bad person because I won’t have to be here anymore.”
Abbington went to therapy and, five years later, met her current partner, Jonathan Goodwin. Tragically, the stuntman was left paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair after a botched stunt on America’s Got Talent: Extreme. The couple are now engaged and Abbington says he has been her “rock.”
While Ms Abbington has now insisted she hated her time on Strictly and suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, Strictly insiders told me she got the feeling she was enjoying being back in the showbiz spotlight when she appeared in the last series.
After leaving the competition, this year she starred in the play When It Happens To You in north London, about a mother trying to keep her family together when her daughter is attacked.
The source said: “Amanda hoped continuing with Strictly would bring her joy.” But that was not so.
“A wonderful trip on Strictly could have changed his life after years of pain.”
As for Pernice, who now stars in the Italian dance competition Ballando con le Stelle, she might well wonder if she unfairly suffered collateral damage from Mrs. Abbington’s bloody private life.
“That certainly rings true,” the BBC source said.
