Strictly Come Dancing's Giovanni Pernice cleared of abusive behaviour by BBC investigation

The BBC has today released the findings of a long-awaited internal investigation into alleged misconduct by the former Strictly dancer, 33, who has been cleared of being abusive.

The BBC has cleared former Strictly star Giovanni Pernice of behaving "inappropriately" towards his dance partners, including Amanda Abbington, after a six-month internal investigation found no evidence of abusive, threatening or intimidating behaviour.

Today (September 30), the broadcaster released the findings, which reveal Mr Pernice was not found to be aggressive or physically violent following allegations by Ms. Abbington, prompting an extensive inquiry launched in May.

Following Ms. Abbingtons accusations, at least three celebrities went as far as hiring solicitors from Carter Ruck while ex-Metropolitan Police officers were enlisted by the BBC to oversee "evidence gathering".

The inquiry involved scrutinising rehearsal footage and examining communications, such as texts and screenshots, between Pernice and Abbington.

While some complaints were upheld against the 33-year-old professional dancer, who has consistently denied any wrongdoing, the BBC expressed regret to Amanda Abbington over the nature of some incidents.

The broadcaster released a statement saying: "The BBC has now concluded its review into the complaints made by Amanda Abbington against Giovanni Pernice. We take any allegations of bullying and harassment very seriously and this review has taken time due to its complex nature and our desire to ensure a rigorous and robust process was undertaken", reports the Mirror.

"Strictly Come Dancing is a family show and we rightly expect very high standards. While competition can be tough, rigorous and demanding, we want the show to ultimately be a joyous and transformative experience. It is a great shame if this hasn't been the case for everyone who has appeared on the show.

"We have assessed the complaints and we have upheld some, but not all, of the complaints made. We want to apologise to Amanda Abbington and to thank her for coming forward and taking part. We know this would not have been an easy thing to do."

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Sherlock star Amanda left Strictly Come Dancing last October, citing personal reasons at the time. However, she later disclosed that she suffered "mild PTSD" following her stint on the BBC programme.

In a recent emotional interview, Abbington opened up about her ordeal, revealing that she had expressed concerns over Giovanni Pernice's "nasty" behaviour just three days into rehearsals. She recounted: "I've got texts to the producer on day three going, 'This is awful, he hates me, I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I'm trying my best, I promise you."

She criticised Giovanni's actions as "inappropriate," elaborating: "It was mean, it was nasty, it was bullying. And I put up with it for five or six weeks. It started very early on. When it started to happen, I would shut down, because I recognised those red flags."

Labelling the Strictly practice space "a toxic environment" she continued: "I don't care what background you're from - whether it's dancing, acting, singing - you have a duty of care to bring into that rehearsal room compassion, understanding, sensitivity and kindness, and that wasn't extended to me. And so I just said, I don't think this is right."

Amanda spoke candidly on Lorraine a day following a tell-all with Channel 4 News presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy, who competed in last year's contest too. She recounted experiencing what Krishnan termed as "humiliating behaviour of a sexual nature", clarifying however that it did not constitute sexual harassment.

Producers, after viewing rehearsal tapes, expressed they were "shocked and horrified", she claimed.

In response to her allegations, which were also discussed on the Channel 4 programme, Giovanni - who rebutted the claims that he acted in a "threatening or abusive" manner - insisted Amanda's statements "did not resemble" the accusations he had been informed of, and he called for patience until the outcome of the BBC's investigation is released.

Following the storm surrounding Giovanni Pernice's behaviour on Strictly Come Dancing, Laura Whitmore revealed she too had lodged complaints against the professional dancer. The television presenter claimed she had informed BBC bosses about Pernice's "inappropriate" conduct back in 2016 while partnered with him on the show.

In her statement, she confirmed joining seven others in speaking to the BBC over Amanda Abbington's complaint, adding that her decision to go public was an effort to combat "victim shaming".

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The outcome of the BBC investigation into the allegations against Giovanni was initially slated for release on July 29, yet it has been delayed, much to the frustration of the production team who aimed to clear the air ahead of the new Strictly series reveal.

BBC director general Tim Davie offered an apology to past participants of the programme earlier in July, expressing his "disappointment" over grievances raised about treatment by dance partners during practice sessions.

Stressing the importance of competition and strong ambition in the show, he emphasised the necessity of boundaries: "There will be a degree of competitiveness and will to do well, but there are limits and the line should never be crossed. We never tolerate unacceptable behaviour of any kind."

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