Giovanni Pernice denies allegations of abusive behaviour after Amanda Abbington claims dancer was ‘cruel and mean’ on Strictly Come Dancing

Giovanni Pernice has denied allegations of abusive behaviour after Amanda Abbington claimed he was “cruel and mean” during his time on Strictly Come Dancing.

In her first interview since leaving the BBC show in October, the 50-year-old actress said the professional’s behaviour was “unnecessary”.

Amanda abruptly left the BBC show citing “personal issues” and has not been seen on screen since, even quitting social media last month following the firing of her former dance partner.

Giovanni, 33, has been suspended while a BBC investigation is underway into the allegations made by Amanda and two other former celebrity partners.

He has now denied all allegations of abusive or threatening behaviour made by Amanda in her interview and has cooperated with the BBC.

In an interview with The Sun on Sunday, she said: “I found Giovanni’s behaviour unnecessary, abusive, cruel and mean. I couldn’t stand by and let him do that to other people.”

“I had to think long and hard before filing a complaint, because I knew I would be poorly received. But I couldn’t have tolerated other people taking part in this show.”

“It’s crazy what happened to me, with the death threats and the backlash. I know the BBC had known about his behaviour for years, people had complained about him and reported his behaviour to producers in the past and nothing had been done. This wasn’t an isolated experience in my case. I should never have danced with him.”

A spokesperson for Giovanni told MailOnline in response: “The BBC has shared the investigation’s allegations with Giovanni, who has cooperated fully.

“None of the allegations reported in the Sun on Sunday are included in any form. Giovanni refutes these allegations and denies any accusations of abusive or threatening behaviour.

“He has provided substantial evidence to the investigation and remains fully confident that he can clear his name.”

The BBC declined to comment when contacted by MailOnline.

Sources had previously claimed that Amanda, Ranvir Singh and Laura Whitmore had an “emotional high” where they “compared notes” about their time working with Giovanni on the show.

Amanda left Strictly for “personal reasons” before reports emerged that she demanded footage of their rehearsals after the experience of the competition left her with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Meanwhile, Ranvir complained about Giovanni to producers in 2020, during their time on the show, while Laura said she “cried every day” and felt “uncomfortable” dancing with him in 2016.

The BBC is currently reportedly combing through nine years of Strictly footage to confirm or deny the three celebrities’ claims.

Three former candidates are understood to be putting together dossiers to submit to their £700-an-hour lawyers before sending them to BBC executives.

Giovanni works with the combative law firm Schillings and is expected to present transcripts to prove he acted fairly.

A source close to the trio previously told MailOnline: ‘They are very unhappy with the way the BBC is handling this matter.

“It’s one thing to say they support him, but they feel like Giovanni is being promoted and put in the spotlight to make them go away and shut up. It’s a kick in the teeth.”

“One of the reasons they wanted to meet was to try to find a solution, because they have no intention of backing down and letting this go away.

“All three of them have been affected in different ways by what happened and they have agreed to talk again about how best to do something about it, because they are really concerned about what happened and that someone else might end up going through what they went through.

“But for now, we have the feeling that Gio is almost untouchable – especially since he is so close to Anton who thinks very highly of him and can’t believe what he hears about his partner.”

MailOnline then contacted the BBC for comment.

Italian dancer Graziano Di Prima was fired from the programme last week after being accused of kicking and spitting at former Love Island star Zara McDermott.

On Tuesday, it was reported that a third Strictly Come Dancing professional has been named as a “person of interest” following allegations of abuse and bullying overshadowing the show.

Strictly Bosses then announced plans to introduce mentors during training and the appointment of two new social producers, following Graziano’s surprise sacking from the show.

Now bosses have announced they will introduce “additional measures to strengthen wellbeing and support on Strictly Come Dancing”.

According to a statement from the company, “the concerns that have arisen in recent months mainly concern training and rehearsals. The measures we are announcing today are intended to address these concerns.”

The new measures include the permanent presence of a member of the production team during rehearsals in the training room, as well as increased support for celebrity candidates and professional dancers.

A Celebrity Wellness Producer and a Professional Dancer Wellness Producer will both be appointed to fulfill these additional duties, and additional training will also be provided to the production team and crew.

Kate Phillips, director of Unscripted at the BBC, said: “While we know our shows have been positive experiences for the vast majority of those who have taken part in them, if issues are reported to us or we are made aware of inappropriate behaviour we will always take this seriously and take action.

“The concerns that have arisen are primarily related to training and rehearsals. The decisive measures we have taken and are being announced today are intended to further strengthen the wellbeing and support in place for everyone involved in this production.”

The announcement comes just hours after former Love Island star Zara broke her silence on the scandal.

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She wrote on Instagram on Tuesday morning that while much of her time on Strictly “was everything I could have dreamed of” in the training room with Graziano, there were “some particular incidents that are incredibly distressing”.

“I thought it was time to post something about the recent media reports,” Zara began. “Strictly is one of the most magical shows on television and one I’ve dreamed of appearing on since I was a little girl.”

“When I was invited to take part in the show it was truly a childhood dream come true. I fully understood the level of commitment and hard work that Strictly would represent and I dedicated my time to it.”

“I am a resilient person and I was fully prepared to do whatever it took.”

“And a lot of my Strictly experience was everything I could have dreamed of. The whole production team and everyone working behind the scenes as well as my fellow contestants were amazing to be around.

“However, my experience in the training room was very different. My treatment was covered on the show and there were witnesses to some of the events, as well as videos of particular incidents that are incredibly distressing to watch.

Zara explained that she did not report the incidents at the time because she was “afraid” of a negative reaction.

IInstead, it was the younger production staff who came forward to share what they had witnessed during the investigation into the professional dancer. Jeans used to take place.

“I struggled with the fear of opening up – I was afraid of the public reaction, I was afraid for my future, I was afraid of being the shamed victim,” Zara wrote on Instagram.

“But after many conversations with those I love, I gained the strength to face these fears, and when I was asked to speak to the BBC, I spoke frankly about my time on the show.

“The culture of our society makes it difficult to speak out, especially in a world where opinions and voices on social media are so strong. This is something I have seen while working with countless women on my documentaries.

“I would like to thank the BBC and BBC Studios for their swift action and incredibly high level of support, as well as everyone who has reached out to me – it truly means the world to me. With love, always. Zara.”