D-Day for BBC report into claims Giovanni Pernice bullied Strictly partner

A report into claims that Strictly Come Dancing star Giovanni Pernice bullied his partner Amanda Abbington on the show will be published today

A BBC investigation into allegations that Strictly star Giovanni Pernice bullied his dance partner Amanda Abbington is set to be disclosed today. The explosive report comes just days into the 2024 Strictly series.

The outcome of the inquiry into the former Strictly professional's conduct, who left the BBC One series in May, is expected to be made public this afternoon.This explosive revelation arrives just after the new season of Strictly commenced without Giovanni's presence.

In July, Sherlock actress Amanda opened up on Channel 4 about some of the purported bullying she endured from Giovanni, which was said to have a sexual element accusations he has vigorously refuted.The 50 year old actress gave a tearful account during a television interview, discussing her time on the dancing programme.

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She alleged that both Giovanni and the BBC were preventing her from accessing 50 hours of their rehearsal footage.

Following these serious claims, which also included statements from two other celebrities, the BBC initiated an "evidence gathering" process.

Nonetheless, 33 year old Giovanni insists he possesses a "bombshell" recording where Amanda admits to being difficult during their training sessions.

Giovanni, who departed the show in May, has recently secured a role on the Italian version of Strictly, a move he excitedly shared on his Instagram last week.

He had been a part of the UK edition for nine years, becoming a favourite among viewers.

During his tenure, he reached the final four times and triumphed once with EastEnders actress Rose Ayling-Ellis.

His exit came in the wake of the complaints lodged by Amanda, his partner in the 2023 series.

A complaint sparked an investigation into his behaviour during rehearsals.

Amanda later described the situation as "disastrously unworkable" and hinted that some of Giovanni's remarks were of a "sexually humiliating" nature.

In October last year, Amanda left the show, revealing she had been diagnosed with PTSD following her time on the programme.

The inquiry was told about an incident where she bruised her foot during rehearsals, allegations of Giovanni making crude gestures in front of dance partners, and an instance where a phone was thrown across the room.

Giovanni's fellow dancer Graziano Di Prima was dismissed after footage surfaced showing him kicking and spitting at his former celebrity partner Zara McDermott.

Earlier, Zara had spoken out, providing a detailed statement on the alleged "physical incidents".