Amanda Abbington ‘calls police' over 'death threats’ after Giovanni Pernice Strictly Come Dancing exit

The Sherlock actor has reportedly been left “feeling very vulnerable in public” and was recently spotted in tears while out with a friend outside a private members’ club.

The messages allegedly came from “supporters” of Giovanni Pernice, who was Abbington’s professional dance partner on Strictly Come Dancing last year. The 50-year-old sparked speculation after she dramatically dropped out of the BBC series due to “personal reasons”.

Since quitting the show, she has alleged her professional dance partner, Pernice, of abuse, claiming his training left her feeling emotionally "broken and in tears" and led her to suffer from "mild Post Traumatic Stress Disorder."

Pernice stepped down from his position on Strictly last month after starring on the show as a professional dancer for nine years. He strongly denied the allegations against him in a statement saying: “I reject any suggestion of abusive or threatening behaviour, and I look forward to clearing my name.”

In an updated message he shared last week, he added: “I am cooperating fully with the ongoing BBC investigation, which will determine the truth. As requested, I have stayed silent, but I am looking forward to the conclusion of the investigation and ultimately clearing my name and establishing the truth.”

According to a report in The Sun, Abbington has made contact with the police over death threats she has received since Pernice stepped down from his role. A source tod them: “Amanda has been left petrified and feeling very vulnerable in public. She has been worried about leaving the house to do simple errands like walking the dog or picking up groceries.”

They continued: “At one point she was struggling to field the hundreds of messages from Giovanni supporters saying nasty things and threatening her safety.”

Adding: “It was awful to cope with. The sheer volume was horrendous and the content was unspeakable and incredibly threatening. The police have taken the messages seriously.”

Sarah McCann is a Trends Writer for NationalWorld. If you liked this article you can follow Sarah on X (Twitter) here. You can also sign up to her free weekly column in the NationalWorld newsletter bringing you the latest tv and film news every Thursday.