BBC apologises to Strictly Come Dancing star Amanda Abbington after Giovanni Pernice scandal

Earlier this year, NationalWorld reported on celebrity contestant Amanda Abbington’s complaints to the BBC after her experience on Strictly Come Dancing with professional Giovanni Pernice. Abbington claimed that she was bullied and harassed by the dancer during her time on the show.

Now, following an internal investigation, the broadcasting corporation has upheld “some” of her complaints, and has issued her with an official apology.

In a statement, the BBC said: ““The BBC has now concluded its review into the complaints made by Amanda Abbington against Giovanni Pernice. 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.”

There were no findings relating to physical aggression, but complaints of verbal bullying and harassment were upheld. Pernice has since been removed from the line-up of professional dancers - as has fellow professional Graziano Di Prima, following similar allegations about his conduct towards Zara McDermott.

The latest series of Strictly Come Dancing kicked off at the weekend, with fans celebrating the return of professional dancer Amy Dowden, following her treatment for breast cancer.

The BBC statement added: “At the time, although the production team took steps to address the issues as they understood them, ultimately these were not enough. This is why the measures we have taken to further strengthen our existing protocols are so important.

“The BBC heard from a number of individuals in making its findings. We want to thank them for participating.

“The BBC has already taken extensive steps to enhance our duty of care for everyone on the show and a full note of these steps is published alongside this statement.”