BBC apologises to Amanda Abbington over Strictly verbal bullying by Giovanni Pernice, but he is cleared of physical aggression

The BBC has expressed regret to Amanda Abbington and acknowledged some of her concerns regarding her 2023 Strictly dance partner, Giovanni Pernice. However, they have found him not guilty of the more serious accusations.

According to information from BBC News, it has been reported that although allegations of verbal bullying and harassment were confirmed, the accusations of physical aggression were not supported.

The actress from Sherlock referred to the BBC's apology as a "validation" of her concerns and expressed her wish that others would now feel "more assured" that their experiences would be taken seriously.

An insider familiar with Pernice mentioned that he was "happy this has been dismissed," noting that the last nine months have been "very difficult" for him.

In their statement released on Monday, the BBC mentioned that the production team attempted to tackle the problems when they arose but conceded that "in the end, these efforts fell short."

"This is the reason why the actions we've implemented to enhance our current procedures are crucial," it stated.

Abbington had earlier claimed that Pernice was "unneeded, harsh, and unkind" while they were rehearsing, a charge that Pernice has consistently rejected.

The BBC emphasized that it treats accusations of bullying and harassment with utmost seriousness. They noted that the investigation into Abbington's claims has taken a while because of the complicated issues involved, and to guarantee that the process is thorough and reliable.

"We have evaluated the complaints and have accepted some of them, but not all," it stated.

"We would like to express our apologies to Amanda Abbington and extend our gratitude for her willingness to step forward and participate. We understand that this must have been a challenging experience for her."

In recent interviews, Abbington mentioned that she brought up her worries regarding Pernice's conduct to the Strictly producers on just her third day. She also indicated that she had numerous other conversations with the show's executives about the matter.

She ultimately left the show in the sixth week, sharing her profound disappointment about having to step away due to "health" and "personal" issues. Subsequently, she filed an official complaint against Pernice.

The actress has stated that the BBC was aware of his actions for a long time. Additionally, she mentioned that she and her family received death threats after she came forward with her story.

Charlotte Moore, the main content officer at the BBC, expressed to BBC News that it was "awful" that Abbington had faced online harassment. She also offered her personal apologies to Abbington on two separate occasions.

BBC News has reported that the investigation examined 17 complaints and upheld six of them; however, we have not been able to confirm this information independently.

The statement didn't provide specifics regarding the complaints, but a source informed BBC News that the complaints that were validated involved verbal bullying and harassment. The more serious claims of physical aggression were not substantiated.

When BBC News requested more details regarding the complaints, Moore replied, “I can’t provide any additional information on that, and there are solid reasons for this.”

"I think it's important to clarify how confidentiality works in the complaints process. It's a crucial part of the whole system, and we need to prioritize it to ensure fairness for everyone involved."

In reaction to the BBC's comments, Abbington expressed that stepping forward was quite a challenging decision.

Since I reached out to the BBC, I've faced accusations of being dishonest, causing problems, and being described as 'crazy and unstable.'

I've faced threats of sexual violence and murder, and someone even sent a bomb threat to my workplace. My family and children have also been targeted with intimidation and threats.

Even though I faced terrible mistreatment, I have never felt remorse for speaking out. The apology from the BBC today confirms that my concerns were valid.

"This isn’t just a personal win for me; it also serves as a validation for others who reached out to share their own concerns about their experiences on Strictly Come Dancing after I filed my complaint. I hope this encourages anyone who has felt hesitant to come forward to feel more assured that they will be heard and taken seriously."

Abbington mentioned that the BBC had extended an invitation for her to meet with top executives, and she would be thinking about it.

"This apology is very important to me. I also appreciate that the BBC has recognized that the measures taken to support and protect me, as well as other former contestants, were insufficient."

"What’s important now is that valuable lessons have been taken to heart, and that the BBC follows through on their commitments to prevent others from going through the same difficult experience that I and others faced."

According to someone familiar with Pernice, "Gio is relieved that this has been dismissed, especially after a challenging nine months for him."

From the beginning, Giovanni has denied any accusations of threatening or abusive conduct.

"Although it understands that the BBC may have chosen to support certain claims to prevent being labeled as doing a 'whitewash,' they have only backed the least substantiated accusations made against him."

In July, the BBC revealed a series of new initiatives, which include bringing in chaperones for every rehearsal space and adding two new welfare producers to the production team.

Earlier this year, the BBC announced that Pernice would not be part of the professional cast for the upcoming series of Strictly.

The latest season of Strictly Come Dancing premiered on BBC One earlier this month.

Pernice has now become a part of Italy's popular dance competition, Ballando con le Stelle.