THE BBC has apologised to Amanda Abbington over the Strictly bullying scandal – but Giovanni Pernice has been cleared of almost all abuse allegations.
After months of waiting, the findings of a probe into Giovanni’s behaviour have been published this afternoon.
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Giovanni Pernice quit the show in May earlier this yearCredit: Getty
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Amanda Abbington accused Giovanni of ‘bullying of a sexual nature’Credit: Channel 4
The bombshell report comes just weeks after the new Strictly season kicked off without Giovanni, who quit in May.
Amanda’s claims earlier this year threw the broadcaster’s flagship show into crisis, forcing it to launch a probe to limit the damage.
It comes as…
BBC apologises to Amanda Abbington over Strictly bullying scandal
Amanda says she’s glad for apology but it isn’t enough
Giovanni breaks silence after report clears him of almost all allegations
Amanda reveals trolls said they’d kill her and sent her bomb threats
And celebs including Laura Whitmore, Zara McDermott and Ranvir Singh all came forward with fresh claims.
But the report concludes that Giovanni was not abusive to Amanda, did not make threats and was not intimidating.
The report also finds that there was no aggressive or physical contact between Giovanni and Amanda.
In a statement, the broadcaster 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.”
Amanda Abbington statement in full
In a statement, Amanda said: “As the BBC has indicated today in its statement, my decision to come forward and complain about Giovanni Pernice’s conduct towards me was not an easy thing to do.
“In the days, weeks and months since I contacted the BBC, I’ve been accused of being a liar, a troublemaker and of being ‘mad and unstable’.
“I’ve also received rape and murder threats and a bomb threat was sent to my place of work.
“My family and children have also been subjected to threats and intimidation.
“Despite this vile abuse, I’ve never regretted coming forward, and today’s apology from the BBC is a vindication of my complaint.
“It’s not just a vindication for me, it’s a vindication for the other people who have contacted me since I made my complaint to express concerns about their own experiences on Strictly Come Dancing.
“I hope those who have felt unable to speak out now will be more confident that they will be listened to and believed.
“The BBC has invited me to meet with senior management and this is something I will now be considering.”
Amanda added: “This apology means a great deal to me.
“So too does the fact that the BBC have acknowledged the steps that were put in place to support and protect me and past contestants were ‘not enough’.
“What matters most now is that lessons have been learned and that the BBC makes the changes they’ve promised, to ensure others don’t experience the same ordeal that I and others like me did.”
The report upholds six out of 17 allegations against pro dancer Giovanni, according to the Mail.
It finds instances of Giovanni using swear words and “belittling” language and giving negative feedback.
And the report also finds there there were two moments of “inappropriate behaviour of sexual banter in the workplace”.
These incidents were made and received consensually as jokes, humour and compliments of Amanda dancing, the report finds.
Amanda had complained that Giovanni sent her an inappropriate video on WhatsApp.
But the BBC did not uphold this complaint and did not find anything sexually inappropriate.
BBC boss Charlotte Moore said: “There were a number of complaints under our bullying and harassment policy.
“A number of those complaints have been upheld. Not all of them, but a number of them have been upheld.
“I’m not able to go into further detail on that, and there are very good reasons for that.
“It’s probably worth me just laying out the confidentiality of a complaints process.
“But of course, we’re also trying to balance that with the desire to be open and to be transparent about the way our complaints processes work.
“Obviously in this case, there’s been lots of media speculation and lots of interest.
So I think it’s really important that we’re as open and transparent as we can be about that process, which is why we’ve issued the statement.”
STRICTLY’S GIO CLEARED
By Issy Sampson
IT’S been a tense wait for Giovanni Pernice, but today the BBC’s official investigation into the Strictly Come Dancing bullying row finally cleared him of almost all of the abuse allegations.
Amanda Abbington has released a statement saying she’s not happy with the outcome – but now the BBC needs to draw a line under the whole ugly situation and move on.
The scandal has seen two dancers leave the show – and more accusations thrown around than a celebrity in a jive.
It’s also seen trolls send Amanda death threats and threaten her children – vile abuse that nobody should ever have to suffer through for simply quitting a TV show and speaking up.
Clearly, Amanda went through a lot and considers the way that Giovanni treated her to be unacceptable – and both the BBC and the dancer need to learn lessons from this situation.
The BBC has already made changes to training sessions, making sure dancers are never alone with the celebs and a chaperone is present at all times. The show’s pros are no doubt a lot more cautious in their teaching methods.
But this investigation needs to change the way all reality shows are run backstage – duty of care towards both stars taking part and backstage staff needs to be increased and upheld. Because if Strictly meets another scandal this big, it could be too damaged to survive.
In a statement, Amanda said: “As the BBC has indicated today in its statement, my decision to come forward and complain about Giovanni Pernice’s conduct towards me was not an easy thing to do.
“In the days, weeks and months since I contacted the BBC, I’ve been accused of being a liar, a troublemaker and of being ‘mad and unstable’.
“I’ve also received rape and murder threats and a bomb threat was sent to my place of work.
“My family and children have also been subjected to threats and intimidation.
“Despite this vile abuse, I’ve never regretted coming forward, and today’s apology from the BBC is a vindication of my complaint.
“It’s not just a vindication for me, it’s a vindication for the other people who have contacted me since I made my complaint to express concerns about their own experiences on Strictly Come Dancing.
“I hope those who have felt unable to speak out now will be more confident that they will be listened to and believed.
“The BBC has invited me to meet with senior management and this is something I will now be considering.”
Amanda added: “This apology means a great deal to me.
“So too does the fact that the BBC have acknowledged the steps that were put in place to support and protect me and past contestants were ‘not enough’.
“What matters most now is that lessons have been learned and that the BBC makes the changes they’ve promised, to ensure others don’t experience the same ordeal that I and others like me did.”
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Giovanni said the star was “pleased” by the report.
Sherlock actress Amanda revealed in July on Channel 4 that some of the alleged bullying towards her was of a sexual nature — all of which he strenuously denied.
The 50-year-old broke down in an emotional TV interview about her experiences on the dance show.
She claimed she was being blocked by both Giovanni and the BBC from seeing 50 hours of footage from their rehearsals.
The BBC subsequently began “evidence gathering” in the wake of the damning allegations, which included claims from two other stars.
However, Giovanni, 33, was adamant he had a “bombshell” recording in which Amanda apologised for being a “nightmare” in training.
Giovanni, who quit in May, has since landed a new job on the Italian version of the show – proudly announcing the news on his Instagram last week.
He had performed on the UK version of the show for nine years and had been a fans’ favourite.
During that time, he made the finale four times and won once with EastEnders star, Rose Ayling-Ellis.
But he quit following complaints from Amanda, who partnered him on the 2023 series.
The complaint triggered a probe into his behaviour in the rehearsal room.
Amanda later said it was “disastrously unworkable” and suggested some of Giovanni’s comments were “sexually humiliating” in nature.
The Sun also revealed she was in a rage with BBC bosses over fears their the bullying probe would be a “whitewash”.
A separate source told The Sun on Sunday that during the inquiry Amanda was asked again about an explicit video Giovanni shared with her.
The source said: “In their very first interview with Amanda, investigators told her that they fully believed her account of events.”
But the source added Amanda later felt as if investigators, and others at the BBC, doubted at least some of her complaints.
Amanda quit last October, saying she had been diagnosed with PTSD following her stint on the show.
The inquiry heard she suffered a bruised foot at rehearsals, that Giovanni grabbed his crotch in front of dance partners while making lewd comments, and a phone was thrown across the room.
Good Morning Britain host Ranvir Singh is understood to have also complained about her treatment by partner Giovanni in the 2020 series.
TV presenter Laura Whitmore, 39, who danced with Giovanni in 2016, also revealed that she complained to the BBC eight years ago about his inappropriate behaviour.
Giovanni, meanwhile, has always maintained his innocence regarding the allegation, and has continued to vow to clear his name.
The star has also seemingly had the support of all four judges, who have since done specialist workshops at Gio’s dance school, Ballando.
In photos posted on his Instagram earlier this month, Gio was seen sipping wine on the luxury boat and topping up his tan in sopping wet black swimming trunks.
Giovanni’s co-star Graziano Di Prima was sacked after video emerged of him kicking and spitting on his former celebrity partner Zara McDermott.
Previously, Zara broke her silence with a lengthy comment on the alleged “physical incidents”.
October 2023: Amanda abruptly withdraws from Strictly having already missed one live show. Her departure is announced in a vague BBC statement that ‘wishes her the best’.
Giovanni posts a short message on social media addressing the exit, which read: “Amanda… I am so sad we can’t continue but I am proud of what we achieved and I am sending you so much love.”
Amanda then shares her own farewell statement on Instagram thanking co-stars but failing to mention Gio.
Giovanni’s dad Piero insists there were no signs of a fall out and the pairing could have gone all the way. He praised his son as kind and polite.
November 2023: Giovanni is reportedly gutted by the situation and is considering his Strictly future as questions are raised about his conduct.
January 2024: Amanda’s PTSD diagnosis comes to light and she demands CCTV from rehearsals to prove that Giovanni’s training methods weren’t acceptable.
The BBC issues a statement defending its duty of care to contestants, insisting it takes any claims of wrongdoing very seriously.
The Corporation stands by its man after emergency meeting
March 2024: Giovanni publicly states he has no intention of leaving Strictly in a TV interview with close pal Anton du Beke.
Ranvir Singh and Laura Whitmore enter the picture. Allegedly the two celebs, who were both previously partnered with Giovanni on Strictly, didn’t feel the BBC took their issues with his methods seriously enough.
The pair have a closed meeting with Amanda where tears are said to be shed.
May 2024: We reveal Giovanni is leaving the programme after having talks with show bosses
He leaves the country with girlfriend Molly Brown on holiday
The BBC launches an internal investigation after three complainants instruct lawyers. A source describes it as a “nightmare situation”.
The Sun also revealed that Zara had broken a leg bone in a tough training session during the show last year.
The report, launched at the start of the summer, has reportedly cost taxpayers over £250,000 so far.
In light of the probe, the BBC have now put new duty of care protocols in place, including having chaperones in the rehearsal rooms for the celebrities to monitor what goes on.
The series is celebrating its 20th series this year – with Nick Knowles, Paul Merson, Tasha Ghouri and Pete Wicks in this season’s line-up.
Comedian McCausland, who is the first blind Strictly contestant, JLS star JB Gill, singer Toyah Willcox are among the celebrities other who have joined this year.
New Texts Shake Up Strictly Investigation
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Giovanni performed on the show for nine yearsCredit: PA
