Giovanni Pernice has said the BBC investigation into Amanda Abbington’s allegations on Strictly Come Dancing was “the right thing to do”.
The Sherlock actor alleged that Pernice, her professional partner on the BBC competition in 2023, had bullied and harassed her in training – resulting in his exit from the show. The broadcaster investigated 16 allegations in total, upholding six and clearing him of 10 of the most serious accusations.
Speaking to GB News, Pernice said: “There was an investigation and I was happy that the BBC wanted to do a job which was to investigate somebody’s complaint. This was the right thing for them to do.
“It was an investigation that was supposed to be quite short, but then ended up to be seven months and, at the end, there was a finding of some allegations, and some of them were not upheld, and it went the way it went, let’s put it this way.
“Some of the allegations upheld were the fact that I didn’t give her a break. I guess she’s quite mature enough to ask for a break if she wanted to.
“And then using other words, as I always said, we were in the room using the same words.
“So, some of the allegations were just not very important to uphold, but I guess they had to do it.”
Asked whether there was a clash of personalities between the two of them, Pernice agreed that it was a “bad pairing from the start”.
He said: “For us, dancing is a sport, it’s a discipline, and to be dancing at high levels, you’ve got to spend time and you’ve got to be resilient in what you want to achieve.
“So, maybe it was just a clash there, a clash of personality; I’m not entirely sure. Because, for me, in the room, everything was absolutely fine. I never had any complaints in the room.”
Praising Abbington’s ability, Pernice stressed she was an “amazing dancer” and he simply “wanted to get the best out of her”.
He said: “I’m a very dedicated person and I always want to achieve the best. Amanda was an absolutely incredible dancer, so my job is to take out the best from my partners, and I was very happy because I thought she would be going through the final, probably winning the show.
“So, when I’ve got talent in front of me, I want to get the best out of them, and perhaps I was looking too positively into the competition.”
Noting the impact the allegations had on him personally, the ex-Strictly star revealed that he faced “dark times” and felt “alone” after leaving the show.
He said: “Strictly was my family and I established my friendships with people from Strictly Come Dancing, and some of the producers were very good friends of mine. Spending Christmas together, Easter together, even helping family of some of the producers.
“And then when all this happened, they all disappeared, because they didn’t want to be seen with me or they couldn’t talk to me. So, when you don’t have anybody next to you when you need it, you’re going to dark places because you feel alone.
“And then when you feel alone, you can’t go out of the house because paparazzi follow you everywhere, or newspapers write about anything, so it was very dark in terms of I didn’t know what to do.”
Pernice went on to join the Italian equivalent, Ballando Con Le Stelle, which he won with actress and singer Bianca Guaccero, whom he is now dating.
He concluded: “Luckily, the investigation finished and they cleared me of the most serious allegations, so I went to do the same job in a different country, which was my little revenge, winning the show. So, basically doing the same show in a different country and winning it, and then I found my girlfriend, so happy days.”
In a statement given to GB News, a spokesperson for Abbington said: “In the past fortnight Mr Pernice has persisted in trying to reframe the BBC investigation and the findings that it made against him.
“To suggest he has not been given the chance to give his side of the story is ludicrous, given the thorough investigation conducted by the BBC, which he was part of, but unsurprising — he seems unhappy with the outcome.
“To suggest that the finding against him related only to the use of swear words is also wrong, but both parties were asked to keep the contents of the investigation report confidential.
“Following the investigation, the BBC apologised to me and paid me substantial compensation: that speaks for itself.”
A spokesperson for Abbington has been contacted for additional comment.
Following the review, the BBC introduced a series of measures aimed at improving welfare on the show, including the introduction of a chaperone present “at all times” during training-room rehearsals.
The BBC has been contacted for comment.
If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.
If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.
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