Amanda Abbington has suggested there is 50 hours of footage that her former Strictly partner Giovanni Pernice “doesn’t want anyone to see” as she reiterated allegations about him during training.
The Sherlock actress claimed the footage was from video cameras which she claims were installed after she raised concerns about the Italian professional dancer to producers in her first week. in the TV series.
Pernice, who has since left the show, has vehemently denied her allegations of “unnecessary, abusive, cruel and mean-spirited” behavior and says she looks forward to “clearing [his] name” amid an ongoing BBC investigation.
Abbington – who appeared as a Strictly contestant last year – said the footage was being “blocked” and that his lawyer was “not authorized”.
On a interview with Channel 4 Newsshe said her lawyer was “trying to help with this” but “he [Pernice] You don’t want anyone to see, which is quite revealing if you have nothing to hide.”
She said of the BBC footage: “I can’t review it and my lawyers can’t review it and they can’t make an assessment.”
“Fifty hours is a lot of filming and a lot of time spent in a toxic room,” she added.
Abbington stated that during the first few weeks of the show, producers told her to her face that they were “shocked” and “horrified” and “I’m sorry” after reviewing footage of the pair’s rehearsals.
She said: “There is evidence out there – what happened in that [training] room and I’m not the one blocking it.
Citing her allegations, she said: “It is bullying and it is aggressive behavior. Other things happened that were very disturbing, that you manage in the room at that moment, because you are a woman and you have to manage these things… because otherwise, what do you do?”
She was interviewed by fellow Strictly Come Dancing contestant, Channel 4 News presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy, who said: “I heard from someone else about an incident of humiliating behavior of a sexual nature – is that right?”
A tearful Abbington replied: “Yes… one of many things.”
Photo: BBC/Ray Burmiston
Abbington withdrew from the competition in the sixth week citing “personal reasons,” but did not elaborate further until revealing that he had made a complaint about the program this month.
She also said she has been under pressure from “brutal, relentless and unrelenting” threats from Strictly Come Dancing fans.
She talked about “rape threats not only against me, but against my daughter and death threats against my son.”
Asked if this came from Strictly fans, she agreed and also claimed the behavior came from Pernice supporters.
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Abbington said she wants to encourage people who feel “intimidated” or who are in a situation they consider “toxic and unsafe” to complain, despite the backlash she allegedly received.
She said: “I know it happened because it happened to me. I’m not a sensational person… I’m not hysterical. I don’t make things seem bigger than they are.
“I know what happened to me in that room was not acceptable. I complained about it and I was kind of not taken seriously.
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Abbington said she knows “three other women” who went through something similar during their experiences on Strictly Come Dancing and there are “potentially” more people coming forward.
The actress, known for the ITV drama Mr Selfridge, also clarified that there are “five or six (other complainants) from what I can gather, but there are three main people who have made complaints, mine is the official one”.
She said that after leaving the show she received “several messages… from some of the producers” but “hasn’t heard from anyone since.”
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Asked if there was any aftercare provided by the program, Abbington replied: “No, it would have been good, I suppose.”
Earlier this month, professional dancer Graziano Di Prima announced he was leaving the show following allegations about his treatment of reality star and documentary presenter Zara McDermott – including confirmed reports. he kicked her during a rehearsal.
The corporation has announced that a member of the production team will be present “at all times” during Strictly training room rehearsals.
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A BBC statement said that “when issues are raised with us, we always take them extremely seriously and have appropriate processes in place to manage these.”
A spokesperson for Pernice told Channel 4 News he is co-operating with the investigation and “believes it is the right forum for all the evidence to be analysed”.
The spokesperson added: “As part of the evidence-based review, the BBC shared with us the allegations it was able to substantiate. They don’t resemble Amanda’s latest allegations, given to Channel 4, in any way.
“Giovanni refutes any allegations of threatening or abusive behavior and, having provided his evidence to the BBC, is confident the review will prove this.”
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