Amanda Abbington breaks silence on BBC's Giovanni Pernice Strictly report and says it was 'not easy'

The former Strictly Come Dancing professional dancer has been cleared of abusive behaviour

Former BBC Strictly Come Dancing's Amanda Abbington has broken her silence after a report into her claims surrounding professional dancer Giovanni Pernice was released. The Sherlock actress suddenly quit the show last October, citing personal reasons and revealing she has been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

The 50-year-old claimed it was due to Giovanni's 'militant' style of training. The BBC launched an internal investigation into the treatment of Strictly's celebrity contestants after she issued an official complaint.

It looked at rehearsal footage and interviewed backstage crew. Giovanni always vehemently denied all claims against him and quit the show in May.

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Amanda said in statement: "As the BBC has indicated today in its statement, my decision to come forward and complain about Giovanni Pernice’s conduct towards me was not an easy thing to do. In the days, weeks and months since I contacted the BBC, I’ve been accused of being a liar, a troublemaker and of being "mad and unstable".

"I’ve also received rape and murder threats and a bomb threat was sent to my place of work. My family and children have also been subjected to threats and intimidation.

"Despite this vile abuse, I’ve never regretted coming forward, and today’s apology from the BBC is a vindication of my complaint. It’s not just a vindication for me, it’s a vindication for the other people who have contacted me since I made my complaint to express concerns about their own experiences on Strictly Come Dancing.

"I hope those who have felt unable to speak out now will be more confident that they will be listened to and believed. The BBC has invited me to meet with senior management and this is something I will now be considering.

"This apology means a great deal to me. So too does the fact that the BBC have acknowledged the steps that were put in place to support and protect me and past contestants were 'not enough'.

"What matters most now is that lessons have been learned and that the BBC makes the changes they’ve promised, to ensure others don’t experience the same ordeal that I and others like me did."

The findings of the long-awaited internal investigation into alleged misconduct by Giovanni, 33, were made public today (Monday, September 30). After six months of investigating Amanda's claims, bosses ruled he was not abusive, threatening or intimidating, Mirror reports.

They said there was no aggressive or physical conduct. Of 16 allegations against the dancer, six were upheld - some of which are for using swear words.

The report said the dancer's language could be 'belittling.' The BBC also apologised to Amanda.

In a statement, the broadcaster said: "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.

"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."