Strictly: Amanda Abbington says she 'received online rape threats' after show

Amanda Abbington reported that both she and her daughter were sent disturbing messages of violence, including threats of harm towards her son, following her decision to withdraw from Strictly Come Dancing.

The actress shared with Channel 4 News that she has been facing severe, continuous, and merciless online harassment, receiving numerous threats every day.

Abbington decided to leave the series last year in October. She has since accused her dance partner, Giovanni Pernice, of behaving in a way that was unnecessary, abusive, cruel, and mean.

Pernice, who recently exited the BBC One program, has previously rejected any claims of abusive or threatening conduct. The BBC emphasized its commitment to prioritizing the well-being and safety of all individuals involved.

In an interview with Channel 4, Abbington mentioned that she was unable to discuss the specific events that occurred on the show, as the BBC was currently investigating the matter.

She only mentioned that it was "bullying and aggressive behavior and there were other incidents that were very distressing."

Speaking about her time in rehearsals with Pernice, she mentioned: "I went through something in that space that should not have happened. I spoke up about it but feel like my concerns were not heard."

She mentioned that the producers of Strictly expressed their surprise and dismay after watching the footage of her training with Pernice.

She also mentioned that there was 50 hours of video that had been "restricted".

The actress also shared her story about the cyberbullying she has faced after exiting the show.

The consequences have been completely unexpected. I have received threats of violence towards me, my daughter, and even my son.

She said that she was receiving numerous messages every day on social media, some of which were urging her to harm herself.

Abbington explained that she filed a report because she wanted to prevent others from experiencing the same situation as her.

She expressed her desire to support individuals facing bullying or in a harmful environment to have the courage to speak out.

"We need to create a culture and a setting where women and men feel empowered to speak up if they are feeling uneasy. It's important to address these issues openly and ask for help when needed," she expressed.

"I believe it's important to show courage and support any woman who feels unheard. I want to be her advocate, standing by her side, and reassuring her that she is not alone."

The actress said she is aware of "three more women" who went through similar experiences on Strictly Come Dancing. She also mentioned that there may be more people coming forward with similar stories. The BBC has not been informed about the identities of these individuals involved in the allegations.

She mentioned that after departing the show, she received multiple messages from producers, but afterwards, she didn't really stay in touch with anyone.

When she was questioned about whether aftercare should have been provided, she responded with: "It would have been appreciated."

Abbington was having a conversation with Channel 4 host Krishnan Guru-Murthy, who also participated in the same competition as her.

Guru-Murthy expressed that his time on the show was fantastic, while Abbington shared that she felt disappointed that she didn't have as positive an experience as others. She mentioned feeling a sense of sadness that she wasn't able to fully enjoy her journey on the show.

Strictly has been in the spotlight recently due to complaints surrounding former dancers Pernice and Graziano Di Prima.

Tuesday, the head of BBC, Tim Davie, said sorry to participants who had bad times on the program and said the show will come back.

After Abbington made recent statements, a representative from the BBC stated: "Everyone who is part of a complaint has the right to privacy and a fair investigation, so it would not be appropriate to provide more details on specific individuals."

However, whenever concerns are brought to our attention, we handle them very seriously and have the necessary procedures in place to address them. We would like to reiterate that we discourage any form of speculation.

In general, the BBC and BBC Studios prioritize the safety and well-being of everyone involved. Our procedures for Strictly Come Dancing are revised annually, consistently reviewed, and recently, we shared new measures to enhance welfare and support for participants on the show.

In the previous month, it was revealed that Pernice would not be coming back to Strictly for the upcoming series.

The representative of Pernice has stated before: "Giovanni rejects these claims and denies any allegations of abusive or threatening conduct."

"He has given strong evidence to the investigation, and he is completely sure he will prove his innocence."