Giovanni Pernice reveals first and final messages to Amanda Abbington before Strictly Come Dancing drama

Giovanni Pernice has revealed how he and Amanda Abbington came to be partnered on Strictly Come Dancing last year as well as confirmed the final conversation between the pair.

During their time on the BBC One dance contest, actress Amanda and professional dancer Giovanni appeared to be getting on with regular social media updates and impressive performances in the famous ballroom.

However, during week six of the 2023 series Amanda made the decision to quit, with 'personal reasons' being stated. The Sherlock star has recently stated she made the decision to walk away after discovering lumps in her breast.

READ MORE: BBC Strictly Come Dancing fans say 'oh no' as they fear for Chris McCausland amid 'another challenge'

Amanda explained that she was "relieved" she had found a way to walk away from Strictly after allegedly clashing with Giovanni. Now, the Italian star, 34, has shared what he claims is the final conversation he had with Amanda before she lodged a complaint to the BBC about his alleged behaviour, reports the Mirror.

The long-awaited BBC report from the investigation cleared the shows former dancer of the show of violence but issued an apology to Amanda after upholding "some but not all" of the complaints made. Giovanni always denied the allegations made against him.

Now, speaking in a new interview, Giovanni said he was "gutted" when he received a call from BBC staff informing him that Amanda had quit. Prior to the call, Amanda had opened up to Giovanni during rehearsals, explaining that she had found two lumps in her breasts, just months after being given the all clear from a mammogram.

"Amanda told me that she couldn't concentrate because while she was having a shower she had found two lumps," he told the Daily Mail. He went on to add that he said to Amanda he was hoping it was "nothing serious" and even offered to get his own doctor involved to have a scan "right away."

"So the last message between us was me saying to her: 'Can I help you? Please let me help you, forget about the dance, forget about the show, this is more important than anything,'" he told the outlet. Giovanni added: "This was the last time I heard from Amanda."

But he also claimed he met Amanda in the "speed dating" process of the show, during which celebrities rotate around the professionals for a quick dance and chat and says he asked producers if he could be paired with her because he thought she was a great dancer.

And, he claims Amanda had asked for him too and so the show's bosses agreed to pair them for last year's series. "I've still got [Amanda's] messages. They say: 'Thank you so much for your patience today, you're an incredible teacher,' so I just thought it was all great," Giovanni said.

As previously reported, in a statement announcing the conclusion of the review into Amanda's claims, the BBC said: "The BBC has now concluded its review into the complaints made by [Amanda] against [Giovanni]. 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. [Strictly] 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."

The broadcaster added: "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."