Shirley Ballas has confessed she hopes ‘everyone can move on’ from the ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ bullying scandal.
The head judge of the BBC show has expressed her support for the outcomes of the BBC’s recent investigation and backed the way producers have handled issues in the past.
Strictly was rocked by alleged misconduct claims, with Graziano Di Prima dropped from the show after allegedly being violent towards Zara McDermott, while Amanda Abbington and others have complained about Giovanni Pernice’s teaching methods.
Commenting on the BBC’s report at a book event on Tuesday, Shirley said: ‘I don’t condone bullying I’ve been through it myself.
‘So if things aren’t right or need addressing, I feel for the person that wants them addressed. And I think that’s a big, important part that everybody gets to say their thing. But now the investigation is over and everybody can move on.’
+7
View gallery
Shirley Ballas has urged everyone to ‘move on’ after the results of the Giovanni Pernice misconduct investigation while Amanda Abbington says she is considering further action against BBC
+7
View gallery
The Sherlock actress revealed she held a summit of other Strictly Come Dancing contestants in her own home to swap stories of treatment on the show during Newsnight on Wednesday
She added: ‘The eight years I’ve been on the show, it’s been great safeguarding. I’ve always felt taken care of when the bullying got really bad.’
This week, the BBC said that it has taken the claims ‘very seriously’, although just six of the 17 allegations made against the Giovanni have actually been upheld.
However Amanda has now said she is considering further action against the BBC as she spoke out about the investigation results during an interview on Newsnight on Wednesday.
The Sherlock actress revealed she held a summit of other Strictly Come Dancing contestants in her own home to swap stories of treatment on the show.
She said she and the other stars wept as they spoke of their experiences working with Giovanni.
In an interview with Victoria Derbyshire, Amanda described her time in the rehearsal room, where she said she ‘lost all sense of reality’.
She added she met up with other celebrities who were previously partnered with Pernice on the BBC show.
Revealing she invited the group to her house, Amanda said ‘we all cried, we all burst into tears.
+7
View gallery
Commenting on the BBC’s report Shirley said: ‘I don’t condone bullying I’ve been through it myself.. But now the investigation is over and everybody can move on’
+7
View gallery
This week, the BBC said that it has taken the claims ‘very seriously’, although just six of the 17 allegations made against the Giovanni have actually been upheld
‘We just wanted to make sure that we weren’t on our own and thinking this had just happened to us.’
‘Everyone I spoke to all said the same thing, it wasn’t pleasant and it wasn’t what everyone else was going through in the other [rehearsal] rooms.’
The actress told Newnight when asked about how she will proceed now the report has been published, that she is ‘taking guidance from my lawyer on a day to day basis.’
Out of 17 allegations, the BBC upheld six, some of which are for Giovanni using swear words. The report found that his language could be ‘belittling.’
The BBC also agreed with Amanda that at times he appeared to be giving her overly negative feedback.
Amanda also believes there is a ‘significant’ reason why she thinks other allegations she made were not upheld.
The star told Newsnight that the ordeal after working with Giovanni had been the most difficult of her life.
‘It has been one of the worst years of my life, I have been through a lot, women go through a lot,’ she said.
‘I have had to deal with a myriad of horrible things that have continued to happen just for complaining.’
+7
View gallery
The star told Newsnight that the ordeal after working with Giovanni had been the most difficult of her life: ‘It has been one of the worst years of my life, I have been through a lot, women go through a lot’
‘
In a statement about the investigation, the BBC said: ‘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.’
The report found that some of the language used by Giovanni towards Amanda could be ‘belittling’ and agreed with the Mr. Selfridge actress that his feedback was, at times, ‘overly negative’ and that he had used profanity during rehearsals.
The report noted after reviewing several hours of rehearsal footage as part of an official investigation that there were two moments of ‘inappropriate behaviour of s3xual banter in the workplace’, which were found to simply have been ‘made and received as jokes’ between the pair.
Amanda’s complaint that he sent her a video on WhatsApp which she deemed to be inappropriate was also not upheld.
News
REPORT: Ben Shephard is JOINING I’m A Celeb as news of his PARTICIPATION in the show LEAKED
This Morning fans have been left convinced Ben Shephard is entering the I’m A Celeb jungle later this month. The presenter, 49, shocked fans after her revealed at the end of Thursday’s programme that he will be taking a break from hosting the daytime…
BREAKINGNEWSStrictly stars OUTRAGED at show bosses axing ‘FIT AND COMMITTED’ longest-serving professional dancer Karen Hauer amid ageism row
Strictly stars are outraged at the show’s bosses axing its longest-serving professional dancer Karen Hauer. The Venezuelan-American star’s job on the BBC dance show is under threat 12 years after she joined back in 2012 following her early elimination from the current series in…
Strictly Come Dancing is PLUNGED INTO an ageism row as the FIVE PROFESSIONAL dancers who are facing the axe are REVEALED with bosses eyeing a YOUNGER GENERATION of dancers
Strictly Come Dancing has been plunged into an ageism row as the professional dancers who are reportedly facing the axe have been revealed. Some of the biggest and best loved stars on the show who have competed for years are…
Strictly’s Amy Dowden fights back TEARS as she admits ‘I’m HEARTBROKEN I let JB DOWN’ and REVEALS poignant reason she was DESPERATE to dance on Saturday during Lorraine interview
Strictly’s Amy Dowden struggled to contain her emotions as she admitted she is ‘heartbroken’ to have had to pull out of the show and feels she has let her partner JB Gill down. Appearing on Lorraine on Thursday, the Welsh dancer, 34, fought back…
I’m A Celebrity PLAN HUGE shake-up as they AXE fan favourite challenge but promise its REPLACEMENT is the ‘ULTIMATE TEST’ for campmates: ‘IT WILL BE TERRIFYING!’
I’m A Celebrity will have a huge shake-up for the series launch after bosses have axed one of the most popular challenges in favour of a brand new thrill-seeking trial. For seven years, Walk The Plank has opened the show with…
Judi Love SHOOTS DAGGERS at Coleen Nolan as she’s called out for ‘RUDE’ habit live on Loose Women – and even the studio audience APPLAUD
Judi Love shot daggers at Coleen Nolan as she was called out for a ‘rude’ habit during Wednesday’s Loose Women. The panel, which also consisted of Brenda Edwards and Charlene White, were discussing Greggs’ latest announcement that they will refuse service to customers who keep their earphones in while…
End of content
No more pages to load