BBC apologises to Abbington over Strictly but her claims only partly upheld

The BBC has apologised to Amanda Abbington and upheld immoderate of her complaints against her 2023 Strictly creation spouse Giovanni Pernice, but cleared him of the astir superior allegations.

BBC News understands that portion complaints of verbal bullying and harassment were upheld, claims of carnal aggression were not.

The Sherlock histrion had accused Pernice of being "unnecessary, abusive, cruel and mean" during their rehearsals.

He antecedently powerfully denied "any proposition of abusive oregon threatening behaviour".

BBC News has approached Abbington and Pernice for a comment.

In a connection released connected Monday, the BBC said it takes allegations of bullying and harassment "very seriously" and said the reappraisal into Abbington's complaints had taken clip "due to its analyzable nature" and successful bid to guarantee "a rigorous and robust process".

"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."

In caller media interviews, Abbington has said she archetypal raised concerns astir Pernice's behaviour with Strictly producers on her 3rd day, and had "many" much discussions with programme bosses.

She yet dropped retired successful week six, expressing her "deepest regret" astatine having to permission the amusement for "medical" and "personal reasons". She aboriginal lodged a ceremonial ailment astir Pernice.

The histrion has since claimed the BBC had known astir his behaviour for years. She has besides said she and her household had received decease threats aft she spoke out.

Charlotte Moore, main contented serviceman for the BBC, told BBC News that it was "terrible" Abbington had been subjected to online abuse, and personally apologised to the histrion twice.

In its statement, the BBC said that the accumulation squad did instrumentality steps to code the issues astatine the time.

But it acknowledged that "ultimately, these were not enough".

"This is wherefore the measures we person taken to further fortify our existing protocols are truthful important," it said.

Those measures, which were announced successful July, see introducing chaperones successful each rehearsal rooms, arsenic good arsenic including 2 caller payment producers connected the show

Earlier this year, the BBC confirmed that Pernice would not instrumentality to the Strictly nonrecreational line-up for the caller series.

The aforesaid month, he deed out astatine "totally untrue stories astir maine successful the media".

He added: "I americium looking guardant to the decision of the probe and yet clearing my sanction and establishing the truth."

He has present joined his autochthonal Italy's endowment creation show, Ballando con le Stelle.

The caller bid of Strictly Come Dancing launched connected BBC One earlier this month.