Abbington has 'no regrets' about Strictly complaints

Amanda Abbington has told the BBC she has "no regrets" astir making complaints against her 2023 Strictly creation spouse Giovanni Pernice.

The Sherlock histrion said she had suffered "one of the worst years of my life" successful an interrogation with BBC Newsnight, and that she had received "hundreds" of rape and decease threats successful the past 8 months, with her teenage girl besides targeted.

But she said she felt she had done the close happening by speaking up, saying immoderate women person told her "you're paving the mode for my girl to enactment successful a harmless situation and not consciousness threatened".

The BBC apologised to Abbington this week, upholding complaints of verbal bullying and harassment against Pernice portion clearing him of claims of carnal aggression.

BBC News has been told the BBC's reappraisal looked into 17 complaints and six were upheld but we person been incapable to independently verify this.

The BBC's authoritative statement did not spell into item astir the quality of the complaints but a root told BBC News that those upheld related to verbal bullying and harassment.

Professional dancer Pernice said helium was relieved that allegations helium had been threatening and abusive "were recovered not to beryllium true".

Speaking to Newsnight presenter Victoria Derbyshire, Abbington said she had experienced "one of the worst years" of her life.

"I've been done a lot, women spell done a lot, but it has been a precise unpleasant, turbulent, relentless clip successful my life," she said.

"I've had to woody with a myriad of horrible things."

In August, the Metropolitan Police confirmed they were investigating aft being called to the Park Theatre successful Finsbury Park to an alleged decease menace sent to the actress, who was starring successful When It Happens To You.

"I had a credible decease menace sent to my spot of work, a theatre that I was moving at, which was credible and the constabulary had to beryllium called," Abbington said.

"I had a weaponry menace sent to my spot of work, threatening to stroke the gathering up due to the fact that I was pursuing this. I've had decease threats sent to me, my family.

"I've had rape threats sent to my 15-year-old daughter, saying 'I'm conscionable laughing astatine the infinitesimal reasoning astir you having to ticker your girl get raped for what you've done to Giovanni Pernice'.

"They were each time I'd beryllium getting those and I person screenshots that person been handed implicit to the Met Police."

When asked astir her experiences successful the rehearsal room, Abbington said it had been "an ongoing litany of being verbally abused".

"There was a 35-minute rant astatine maine with him throwing his hands up successful the aerial and calling maine names and telling maine each sorts of things that I was and however helium couldn't truly header with it anymore," she said.

"And this went connected for, you know, 7 hours a day, for 7 weeks."

She said she loves Strictly and "never wanted to origin trouble, I ne'er wanted to bring down a amusement oregon ruin anybody’s career".

“All I did was acquisition thing successful a workplace situation that was really connected a amusement tally by a corp that is owned by the nationalist and I didn’t privation anybody other to spell done what I had gone through,” she said.

On what she thought astir the BBC's attraction of her case, she said: "There’s a 30-page study maine and my lawyers are inactive digesting, determination are inactive things successful determination that are unresolved."

A spokesperson for Pernice said up of the interview: “Giovanni is relieved that the precise superior allegations made against him person not been upheld. We are incapable to remark further connected the study and the BBC has asked some parties to respect its confidentiality.” The BBC has approached Pernice for further comment.

In a statement, the BBC said it takes allegations of bullying and harassment "very seriously".

"We person assessed the complaints and we person upheld some, but not all, of the complaints made," it said.

"We privation to apologise to Amanda Abbington and to convey her for coming guardant and taking part. We cognize this would not person been an casual happening to do."

A caller bid of Strictly launched connected BBC One past month. Earlier this year, the BBC confirmed Pernice would not instrumentality to the nonrecreational line-up for the caller series.

He has present joined his autochthonal Italy's equivalent to Strictly, Ballando con le Stelle.

The BBC announced a drawstring of caller measures for Strictly successful July. They see introducing chaperones successful each rehearsal rooms and 2 caller payment producers.