Amanda Abbington and Martin Freeman split after realising major relationship problem

Actress Amanda Abbington has faced her fair share of tough times away from the glitz and glamour of the showbiz world

Before her trials on Strictly Come Dancing, Amanda Abbington endured a heart-wrenching experience that significantly affected her mental health. The actress has now broken her silence about the BBC's internal investigation into accusations she levelled against her ex-dance partner Giovanni Pernice.

Following a six-month inquiry into Amanda's allegations, the corporation determined that while Giovanni had not been physically abusive, her complaints of verbal bullying and harassment were validated. Giovanni, who is no longer associated with the show, has consistently denied the allegations and recently voiced his relief on social media that 'it's over'.

In a recent conversation with Victoria Derbyshire, the Sherlock star characterised the past year as one of 'the worst' in her life. Amanda has also previously disclosed another difficult period in her life after her distressing separation from fellow actor Martin Freeman, most recognised for his portrayal of Tim in The Office.

The duo first crossed paths on the set of the 2000 film Men Only and subsequently collaborated on several projects including The Debt, The Good Night, and The Robinsons. Their on-screen rapport was particularly highlighted when they portrayed husband and wife Dr John Watson and Mary Morstan in the popular BBC drama Sherlock, which featured Benedict Cumberbatch as a contemporary Detective Sherlock Holmes.

In Hertfordshire, Amanda and Martin's shared life, raising their two children, Joe, 18, and Grace, 16, faced a challenging turn when their seemingly perfect relationship ended in 2016, impacting Amanda's mental well-being, as reported by the Mirror, reports Birmingham Live.

Amanda has candidly discussed the separation, noting how for six months, they maintained secrecy while continuing to work alongside each other on Sherlock. In a Sunday Times Magazine interview, she revealed: "When we broke up nobody knew, we didn't tell anybody except for a few key people because they had to know, because of the logistics of hotels and stuff. It took six months for it to get out and a lot of that was while we were working on Sherlock... We were professional and we were going to get on and make a show and be civil to each other."

Her sharing didn't stop there; Amanda expressed ongoing respect for Martin, stating in the interview: "We still get on really well, we still really both admire each other as actors... he's a great guy, but we just couldn't live with each other anymore."

The break-up's effect on her state of mind was further articulated during an episode of the Full Disclosure podcast where she confessed to feeling like a 'mess' and even loathing herself.

At one point, Amanda faced such despair that she harboured thoughts of suicide.

"It was breaking up with Martin and then realising I needed to sort myself out because I was a bit of a mess. I hated myself," Amanda Abbington confessed when reflecting on her former relationship breakdown with Martin. The actress divulged candidly about the subsequent tough times that led her to think, "You could always kill yourself" as a viable option during her darkest moments.

Recounting her prior mindset, she expressed, "That was a genuine option for me, quite a few times in my life. Then I don't have to be this bad person because I don't have to be here anymore."

Amanda turned to therapy and overcame her tribulations, now finding joy in her engagement to former stuntman Jonathan Goodwin. They initially bonded over Twitter in 2021, but it was after meeting in Vienna that Jonathan wasted no time in proposing.

The couple's bond was put to the test due to Jonathan's paralysis following a botched America's Got Talent: Extreme stunt. Jonathan acknowledged the gravity of his accident on Loose Women last year and recognised that Amanda had every reason to abandon him, an idea she never entertained.

When Jonathan suggested they had 'a lot to talk about', Amanda firmly said: "Unless it's about the wedding, then no, we don't."

She admitted that leaving Jonathan never crossed her mind; she merely felt thankful he survived.

Amanda's ex, Martin, has moved on and is now dating French starlet Rachel Benaissa, gaining fame from BBC's hit series 'Normal People', which featured Daisy Edgar-Jones and Paul Mescal. Speaking on Newsnight about the Strictly controversy, Amanda disclosed that although many of her concerns were recognized, there's still a 'significant reason' for some issues being unresolved, indicating her team is looking further into it.

The dialogue on the show also brought up Sarah Vine's recent commentary in the Daily Mail about Amanda, which read: "Women like Abbington are part of the reason other women find themselves in genuinely awful and much more serious situations don't get taken seriously."

Amanda did not hold back in her reaction, making it clear: "I'm always shocked when women throw other women under the bus for standing up for something they think is wrong but ok."

On discussing the backing she's received, Amanda said: "I've had so many women come up to me since making this complaint thanking me for being brave enough to stand up and complain about something that was impacting me in a work situation."

She also highlighted the importance of her actions for others, stating: "I also did it for the women before me who had gone through the same thing. I'm not the isolated person - it hasn't only happened to me".

In the meantime, during the segment, Victoria brought up Giovanni's previous comments on Newsnight, where he stated: "We are unable to comment any further and the BBC has asked both parties to respect confidentiality."

On the evening of Sunday, September 30, Giovanni Pernice took to Instagram to address his fans, saying: "It was difficult because, you know, reading stuff that were untrue, wasn't the nicest time of my life let's be honest. But today I'm happy because, you know, at the beginning there were very very serious allegations thrown out at me but as in today, none of the serious allegations have been upheld. All the threatening, abusive, harassment behaviour allegations have not been upheld."

In response to the situation, the BBC issued a statement highlighting the show's family-friendly nature: "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."

The BBC expressed regret for any negative experiences, stating: "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."