Amanda Abbington claimed she faced 'mean and nasty bullying' from Giovanni Pernice(Image: Getty)

Amanda Abbington 'considering legal action against BBC' as 6 Strictly Giovanni complaints upheld

The BBC has issued an apology to actress Amanda Abbington following the investigation into her bullying claims against her former Strictly Come Dancing partner Giovanni Pernice

by · The Mirror

Amanda Abbington is deliberating over taking the BBC to court for loss of earnings and damages following its probe results on accusations of bullying by Strictly Come Dancing celebrity Giovanni Pernice, according to reports.

The Sherlock star, who left the hit BBC One series last year citing "personal reasons," has accused the show of fostering a "toxic environment" teeming with "inappropriate, mean, and nasty bullying."

Giovanni Pernice was exonerated of allegations of threatening and abusive behaviour after the BBC looked into complaints lodged against him. On Monday, September 30, the corporation made public its findings on the matter and extended an apology to Abbington.

The BBC said sorry to Amanda after it "upheld some, but not all" claims about the Italian dancer during the actress's stint on the dance program, upholding six out of 17 complaints she raised. The investigation revealed instances of "inappropriate behaviour of sexual banter in the workplace" one of which involved Pernice making an improper gesture, contravening corporation policies.

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Amanda said coming forward 'was not an easy thing to do'( Image: (Image: BBC))

In her comments on the BBC's announcement, Amanda stated that speaking out "was not an easy thing to do". The BBC announced: "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. 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."

An insider close to Amanda revealed: "Amanda is delighted and relieved, and feels her decision to speak out and complain has been rewarded. She hopes other celebrities might come forward now, safe in the knowledge they, too, will be listened to."

The source told The Sun: "Amanda has been through hell and lost work as a result of going public, and is considering taking further action against the BBC for damages and loss of earnings. Amanda suffered enormously, got formally diagnosed with PTSD, and feels the BBC breached its duty of care guidelines by not protecting her sooner.

"It’s hard to put a figure on how much she could expect if things go her way, but it could be up to £300,000. Obviously this would be the BBC’s worst nightmare; this has already been a costly investigation, and Strictly’s reputation has taken a walloping.”

A spokesperson for Giovanni said: "We are pleased this six-month review has not found any evidence of threatening or abusive behaviour. Giovanni is relieved that the overwhelming majority of allegations put to the BBC have not been upheld and looks forward to continuing his work on Dancing With The Stars in Italy this season."

Giovanni Pernice makes a triumphant debut on Italian version of Strictly with partner Bianca( Image: (Image: No credit))

Since his departure from Strictly in May, Giovanni has landed a new gig on Dancing With The Stars in Italy, partnering with Bianca Guaccero. Insiders reckon he might be given the green light for a surprise comeback to Strictly - although those in his inner circle suggest he's been left feeling "burned" by his past experiences.

A pal of his commented: "Giovanni feels he was thrown to the wolves, and is very bruised by some of the claims made by previous partners against him. He has always maintained his innocence so right now the thought of going back to Strictly seems outlandish.

"Only four allegations against him were upheld for bullying, plus two sexual complaints, but he feels there was context to these, and he was only ever joking. Not to belittle Amanda's experience, which is valid, but Giovanni feels like he could have been supported better too."

Strictly returned on September 14 for its 20th anniversary show. Chaperones are now present during rehearsals.

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