It is the scandal that has threatened to bring an end to Saturday night favourite Strictly Come Dancing.
And now, on the eve of the BBC’s verdict on whether professional dancer Giovanni Pernice bullied fellow dancer Amanda Abbington into quitting the show, the Sicilian star is convinced he has evidence to prove he is far from the “cruel, abusive and mean” man the actress has painted him to be.
Today, The Mail on Sunday can reveal exactly what that evidence is and, shockingly, it comes from Ms Abbington’s mouth, not his.
The 33-year-old gave investigators a 28-minute audio tape of him and Ms Abbington talking, which his team believe shows that far from intimidating her, he was hugely supportive.
We can also reveal that Mr Pernice gave the inquiry a dossier containing screenshots of WhatsApp messages between himself and Ms Abbington, 50, in which she gushes about how helpful he has been, how much she likes him and apologises to him. This newspaper can also reveal that:
Amanda Abbington and Giovanni Pernice perform on BBC1’s Strictly Come Dancing
Ms. Abbington apparently had difficulties with rehearsals during the dance competition.
During the audio clip, Ms Abbington tells Mr Pernice that if she were him, “I would have thrown myself out of the window already”, in an apparent acknowledgement that it can be difficult.
The Sherlock actress also talks about how she ‘self-sabotages’, repeatedly mentions how he has been a support to her and describes herself as a ‘nightmare’.
The actress wipes away a tear during an interview on Channel 4 News earlier this week.
The Strictly cast show off their dancefloor moves during the series.
Pernice kisses Miss Abbington on the forehead during rehearsals for the dance contest.
The couple danced together from August to October last year, when she left the series after six weeks, citing medical reasons.
According to sources close to the situation, Pernice expects to be cleared after a three-month investigation, with the BBC announcing its findings to both sides tomorrow. The company is also expected to issue a “nondescript” statement.
A source close to Strictly told The Mail on Sunday: ‘The truth of the matter is that Giovanni spent a lot of time trying to calm Amanda down.
‘There were many times when he had to control his emotions. She was vulnerable, but he wanted to do the best he could for her, including teaching her how to dance.
‘She described herself as a nightmare, Giovanni was kind and tried to calm her down and make her feel better about herself.
‘She said he was her support, that he would help her overcome her difficulties.
‘Although Gio didn’t say it was easy for him to do it, he did it. He considered it his duty. He was a professional dancer and it was his job to take care of her and teach her how to dance.
‘This is why Giovanni is upset about all this. He tried to be a big support for her.
“And as far as he’s concerned, he can prove it. He has evidence and he hopes it will help him clear his name.”
It can also be revealed that on one occasion Mrs Abbington told Mr Pernice that she had a medical problem and he rushed to help her.
A friend of the dancer said: “Gio was worried and wanted to help her. Once again, he has that evidence.”
It is also understood that Ms Abbington’s previous insistence that she and Mr Pernice were on good terms has been taken into account.
In particular, a video she posted on Instagram to debunk reports that the couple had fought is said to be “especially interesting.”
Ms Abbington, for her part, remains firm in her position that she suffered “unacceptable bullying”.
The investigation has been frustrating for the BBC, particularly as Ms Abbington spoke out several times before the inquiry was concluded.
We can also reveal that the BBC invited Mr Pernice’s former dance partners to give testimony about their own experiences working with him. Those interviewed included Ms Whitmore, Mr Anderson, Ms McGee, Good Morning Britain presenter Ranvir Singh and deaf actress Rose Ayling-Ellis. Many agreed to be interviewed.
A friend of Ms McGee, who took part in Strictly just six months after her husband died, said: “Debbie has supported Gio from day one. The BBC invited her to take part and she jumped at the chance.
“She wanted to be there when he needed her most, just as he was there for her.”
According to BBC sources, other people also spoke to investigators. One of them said: “There were some who you wouldn’t expect to give a positive report on Gio, but they did.”
Meanwhile, members of the Strictly crew were also interviewed. It is understood that none of them reported witnessing or experiencing bad behaviour from Mr Pernice.
The scandal broke at the end of the year after Abbington told The Sun that she had suffered post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of her time on Strictly. She also reportedly asked to see footage of rehearsals so she could pass it on to her lawyers.
The BBC rejected her request and in April launched an investigation into her allegations. Last week, in an interview on Channel 4 News, the actress claimed that an incident of a “humiliating sexual nature” had occurred on the show and revealed that she had received dozens of death and rape threats every day after complaining to the BBC that Pernice had bullied her.
Amanda Abbington and Giovanni Pernice on last year’s Strictly Come Dancing
Pernice’s spokesman said he was not made aware of the sexual allegations until his lawyers for Schillings were offered the right to respond, just hours before the interview aired Wednesday. He vehemently denies the allegations.
Abbington had previously claimed Pernice had stamped on his foot, leaving a bruised toe. He has not given further details.
Last Sunday, she told The Sun: “I found Giovanni’s behaviour to be unnecessary, abusive, cruel and mean. I couldn’t stand by and let him do that to other people.” Again, she did not offer details.
During her interview on Channel 4 News, Ms Abbington said she wanted to be compensated for her loss of income following her appearance on Strictly and her bullying claims.
But the BBC also faces possible action from Pernice, who is unhappy at being paired with Abbington without TV bosses carrying out psychological tests on him.
“Gio feels he has been failed in his duty of care,” says a friend of the star.
Yesterday a spokesman for Ms Abbington said: ‘These details do not alter anything – as Amanda has repeatedly made clear, she did the best she could to make things work.
‘This included being open with Giovanni about her shortcomings as a dancer and her awareness that this must have been difficult for him.
“That these comments are now being presented as some sort of excuse for the harassment Amanda suffered is as unacceptable as the behaviour itself.”