Amanda Abbington hails ‘vindication’ over BBC’s Strictly apology as Giovanni Pernice says he’s ‘relieved’ at findings
Actress Amanda Abbington has called a BBC apology over complaints of bullying on Strictly Come Dancing a “vindication”.
A BBC investigation into Abbington’s claims “upheld some, but not all” of her complaints about professional dancer Giovanni Pernice’s behaviour during her time on Strictly.
Amanda Abbington and Giovanni Pernice in Strictly Come Dancing in 2023. Pic: BBC/Guy Levy
The Sherlock actress, who pulled out of the BBC One show last year citing “personal reasons”, later claimed she was subject to a “toxic environment” and “inappropriate, mean, nasty bullying”.
While there were no findings relating to physical aggression, it is understood that complaints of verbal bullying and harassment were upheld.
Responding to the report, a representative for Pernice said he was “relieved” the BBC report – which has taken six-months to complete – found no evidence of threatening or abusive behaviour.
In a statement, Abbington said: “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 50-year-old performer said she will now be considering whether to meet with senior management at the BBC, and hoped the corporation “makes the changes it promised”.
Giovanni Pernice on the show in 2022. Pic: PA
Ex-Strictly professional ‘pleased’ and ‘relieved’
Pernice, who did not return to dance on the show this year, said he was “relieved” the BBC review had not found “any evidence of threatening or abusive behaviour” by him.
The 34-year-old Italian dancer has previously denied the allegations, and earlier this month announced he was joining the Italian equivalent of Dancing With The Stars, Ballando con le Stelle.
In a written statement, a spokesperson for Giovanni Pernice said: “We are pleased that this six-month review has not found any evidence of threatening or abusive behaviour by Giovanni.
“Giovanni is relieved that the overwhelming majority of allegations out to the BBC have not been upheld and looks forward to continuing his work on Dancing With The Stars in Italy this season.”
Pernice had danced on Strictly since 2015, lifting the glitterball trophy for the first time in 2021 alongside EastEnders star Rose Ayling-Ellis. He had appeared in three show finals previously.
Rose Ayling-Ellis and Pernice won Strictly in 2021 Pic: Ray Burmiston/ BBC
‘A joyous and transformative experience’
In a statement summarising its findings, the broadcaster said: “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.”
Amanda Abbington. File pic: AP
While it said the Strictly production team “took steps to address the issues as they understood them” at the time, the corporation admitted “ultimately these were not enough”.
The BBC also thanked “a number of individuals” aside from Abbington who contributed to the investigation.
It then listed various new duty of care measures, introduced to protect contestants, including the presence of a production team member in training and rehearsals, two newly created production roles (celebrity welfare producer and professional dancer welfare producer) and additional training for the professional dancers, production team and crew.
The BBC say 15 training room observers are now in place for rehearsals (including breaks, warm-ups and rest periods) and it has implemented “weekly welfare meetings”, which include a review of daily training logs.
In addition, there is also a “pre-series psychological review”, workshops on the culture and expected behaviour of the show and a formal exit interview for all outgoing contestants.
Giovanni Pernice and Nadiya Bychkova perform during the Strictly Come Dancing Professionals UK Tour. File pic: PA
‘Open and transparent about the complaints process’
Speaking to BBC News, BBC chief content officer Charlotte Moore said she could not go into detail because of the “confidentiality of a complaints process”.
She said the corporation was “trying to balance that with the desire to be open and to be transparent about the way our complaints processes work”.
She added: “So I think it’s really important that we’re as open and transparent as we can be about that process, which is why we’ve issued the statement.”
Laura Whitmore appeared on the show back in 2016
Previous complaints
Abbington’s complaint is not the only Strictly issue to have been flagged to the BBC.
Another Strictly professional dancer Graziano Di Prima was previously axed from the show after he admitted kicking Strictly partner Zara McDermott in training once last year.
Irish TV presenter Laura Whitmore previously said she spoke to the Strictly review team, and said she was subjected to “inappropriate behaviour”. She was partnered with Pernice in 2016, and was eliminated seventh that year.
Paralympian Will Bayley had also spoken out about duty of care issues.
Strictly’s 20th anniversary season is now in its fourth week, with Olympic swimmer Tom Dean becoming the first contestant to leave the show on Sunday.
Despite The Who’s Quadrophenia being set over 60 years ago, Pete Townshend’s themes of identity, mental health, and modern masculinity are just as relevant today.
The album is having a renaissance as Pete Townshend’s Quadrophenia A Mod ballet is being brought to life via dance at Sadler’s Wells East, and Sky News has an exclusive first look.
As Townshend puts it, the album he wrote is “perfect” for the stage.
Pete Townshend
“My wife Rachel did the orchestration for me, and as soon as I heard it I said to her it would make a fabulous ballet and we never really let that go,” he tells Sky News.
“Heavy percussion, concussive sequences. They’re explosive moments. They’re also romantic movement moments.”
If you identify with the demographics of Millennial, Gen Y or Gen Z, you might not be familiar with The Who and Mod culture.
But in post-war Britain the Mods were a cultural phenomenon characterised by fashion, music, and of course, scooters. The young rebels were seen as a counter-culture to the establishment and The Who, with Roger Daltry’s lead vocals and Pete Townshend’s writing, were the soundtrack.
Quadrophenia the album is widely regarded as an essay on the British adolescent experience at the time, focusing on the life of fictional protagonist Jimmy – a young Mod struggling with his sanity, self-doubt, and alienation.
Townshend sets the rock opera in 1965 but thinks its themes of identity, mental health, and modern masculinity are just as relevant today.
He says: “The phobias and the restrictions and the unwritten laws about how young men should behave. The ground that they broke, that we broke because I was a part of it.
“Men were letting go of [the] wartime-related, uniform-related stance that if I wear this kind of outfit it makes me look like a man.”
Paris Fitzpatrick and Pete Townshend. Pic: Johan Persson
This struggle of modern masculinity and identity appears to be echoing today as manosphere influencers like Andrew Tate, incel culture, and Netflix’s Adolescence make headlines.
For dancer Paris Fitzpatrick, who takes on the lead role of Jimmy, the story resonates.
Paris Fitzpatrick, who takes on the lead role of Jimmy in the ballet
“I think there’s a connection massively and I think there may even be a little more revival in some way,” he tells Sky News.
“I love that myself. I love non-conforming to gender norms and typical masculinity; I think it’s great to challenge things.”
Despite the album being written before he was born, the dancer says he was familiar with the genre already.
“I actually did an art GCSE project about Mods and rockers and Quadrophenia,” he says.
“I think we’ll be able to bring it to new audiences and hopefully, maybe people will be inspired to to learn more about their music and the whole cultural movement of the early 60s.”
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In 1979, the album was adapted into a film directed by Franc Roddam starring Ray Winstone and Sting but Townshend admits because the film missed key points he is “not a big fan”.
“What it turned out to be in the movie was a story about culture, about social scenario and less about really the specifics of mental illness and how that affects young people,” he adds, also complimenting Roddam’s writing for the film.
Perhaps a testament to Pete Townshend’s creativity, Quadrophenia started as an album, was successfully adapted to film and now it will hit the stage as a contemporary ballet.
It appears that over six decades later Mod culture is still cool and their issues still relatable.
Quadrophenia, a Mod Ballet will tour to Plymouth Theatre Royal from 28 May to 1 June 2025, Edinburgh Festival Theatre from 10 to 14 June 2025 and the Mayflower, Southampton from 18 to 21 June 2025 before having its official opening at Sadler’s Wells Theatre, London on 24 June running to 13 July 2025 and then visiting The Lowry, Salford from 15 to 19 July 2025.
Russell Brand has been charged with rape and two counts of sexual assault between 1999 and 2005.
The Metropolitan Police say the 50-year-old comedian, actor and author has also been charged with one count of oral rape and one count of indecent assault.
The charges relate to four women.
He is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday 2 May.
Police have said Brand is accused of raping a woman in the Bournemouth area in 1999 and indecently assaulting a woman in the Westminster area of London in 2001.
He is also accused of orally raping and sexually assaulting a woman in Westminster in 2004.
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Ashna Hurynag discusses Russell Brand’s charges
The fourth charge alleges that a woman was sexually assaulted in Westminster between 2004 and 2005.
Police began investigating Brand, from Oxfordshire, in September 2023 after receiving a number of allegations.
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The comedian has denied the accusations and said he has “never engaged in non-consensual activity”.
He added in a video on X: “Of course, I am now going to have the opportunity to defend these charges in court, and I’m incredibly grateful for that.”
Metropolitan Police Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy, who is leading the investigation, said: “The women who have made reports continue to receive support from specially trained officers.
“The Met’s investigation remains open and detectives ask anyone who has been affected by this case, or anyone who has any information, to come forward and speak with police.”
Tom Cruise has paid tribute to Val Kilmer, wishing his Top Gun co-star “well on the next journey”.
Cruise, speaking at the CinemaCon film event in Las Vegas on Thursday, asked for a moment’s silence to reflect on the “wonderful” times shared with the star, whom he called a “dear friend”.
Kilmer, who died of pneumonia on Tuesday aged 65, rocketed to fame starring alongside Cruise in the 1986 blockbuster Top Gun, playing Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky, a rival fighter pilot to Cruise’s character Maverick.
Tom Cruise said ‘I wish you well on the next journey’. Pic: AP
Val Kilmer in 2017. Pic: AP
His last part was a cameo role in the 2022 blockbuster sequel Top Gun: Maverick.
Cruise, on stage at Caesars Palace on Thursday, said: “I’d like to honour a dear friend of mine, Val Kilmer. I can’t tell you how much I admire his work, how grateful and honoured I was when he joined Top Gun and came back later for Top Gun: Maverick.
“I think it would be really nice if we could have a moment together because he loved movies and he gave a lot to all of us. Just kind of think about all the wonderful times that we had with him.
“I wish you well on the next journey.”
The moment of silence followed a string of tributes from Hollywood figures including Cher, Francis Ford Coppola, Antonio Banderas and Michelle Monaghan.
Kilmer’s daughter Mercedes told the New York Times on Wednesday that the actor had died from pneumonia.
Tom Cruise at Caesars Palace on Thursday. Pic: AP
Diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014, Kilmer discussed his illness and recovery in his 2020 memoir Your Huckleberry and Amazon Prime documentary Val.
He underwent radiation and chemotherapy treatments for the disease and also had a tracheostomy which damaged his vocal cords and permanently gave him a raspy speaking voice.
Kilmer played Batman in the 1995 film Batman Forever and received critical acclaim for his portrayal of rock singer Jim Morrison in the 1991 movie The Doors.
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He also starred in True Romance and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, as well as playing criminal Chris Shiherlis in Michael Mann’s 1995 movie Heat and Doc Holliday in the 1993 film Tombstone.
In 1988 he married British actress Joanne Whalley, whom he met while working on fantasy adventure Willow.
The couple had two children before divorcing in 1996.
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