The controversy surrounding Amanda Abbington and Giovanni Pernice has once again flared up after a series of conflicting media appearances and statements. What l have dubbed “Abbingtongate” seemed to have quietened down last week, only for the flames to reignite with new claims and interviews on both sides of the dispute.
Abbington is the Woman in Black at the theatre on Tuesday
For weeks, Amanda Abbington, an actress and former contestant on Strictly Come Dancing, has been vocal in the media, sharing her side of the story about her time on the show. She has alleged a toxic environment during rehearsals, casting a negative light on her professional partner, Giovanni Pernice. Much of this narrative appeared to contradict an earlier Instagram post she had shared that included a video, leaving many puzzled by the inconsistencies.
In a significant twist, Giovanni Pernice finally broke his silence this week in an interview with the Daily Mail and during an appearance on ITV’s Lorraine. The interviews were highly anticipated, as Pernice had previously remained silent at the request of the BBC, which was conducting its own investigation into the allegations. Pernice’s account starkly contradicted Abbington’s, claiming that their rehearsals “worked perfectly” and that the accusations of verbal abuse were unfounded.
The BBC, after its investigation, upheld six of the 17 complaints filed by Abbington but publicly cleared Pernice of the most serious allegations. While the BBC apologized to Abbington, it did not find sufficient evidence to support the claims of harassment she had made.
However, following Pernice’s media coverage this week, Abbington and her legal team issued a new statement to The Sun, challenging Pernice’s version of events. In the statement, Abbington’s team accused Pernice of maintaining a toxic environment, describing his conduct as “gaslighting” and noting that the BBC’s own findings supported her claims that Pernice had violated multiple policies, including anti-bullying regulations. The statement also emphasized Abbington’s dissatisfaction with the way the BBC handled the investigation and how the report was leaked to the press.
Despite initially expressing relief and appreciation for the BBC’s public apology when the investigation report was first released, Abbington now appears to have reversed her stance, raising fresh concerns about the thoroughness of the inquiry and the fairness of its outcome.