September 30th 2024.
The BBC recently issued an apology to former Strictly Come Dancing star Amanda Abbington after a lengthy investigation into her complaints against her former dance partner, Giovanni Pernice. The broadcaster acknowledged some of Abbington's concerns and upheld several of her complaints, though they cleared Pernice of the most serious allegations.
Last year, Abbington withdrew from the BBC One show citing 'personal reasons', but later revealed that she experienced a 'toxic environment' and 'inappropriate, mean, and nasty bullying'. While there were no findings of physical aggression, the investigation did uphold complaints of verbal bullying and harassment.
The review into Abbington's complaints about Pernice, who is not part of this year's Strictly professional dancing line-up and has since joined an Italian dance show, was launched earlier this year. The BBC takes allegations of bullying and harassment very seriously and wanted to ensure a rigorous and robust process was undertaken in their investigation.
In a statement, the BBC expressed their desire for Strictly Come Dancing to be a joyous and transformative experience for all involved, and apologized to Abbington for any negative experiences she may have had. They also thanked her for coming forward and participating in the investigation, acknowledging that it could not have been an easy decision.
The BBC also announced that they had taken extensive steps to enhance their duty of care for everyone on the show and shared a full list of these measures alongside their statement. They also thanked the individuals who participated in the investigation and acknowledged that, while steps were taken to address issues at the time, they were ultimately not enough.
In response to the findings, Abbington stated that she had never regretted coming forward with her complaints, despite facing backlash and threats in the form of rape and murder threats and even a bomb threat. She hopes that the BBC's apology and acknowledgement of her concerns will give others the confidence to come forward with their own experiences and that the promised changes will prevent others from going through a similar ordeal.
Pernice's spokesperson also released a statement, expressing relief that the majority of allegations made against him were not upheld, and stating that he looks forward to continuing his work on Dancing With The Stars in Italy. The BBC's chief content officer also acknowledged that several complaints were upheld under their bullying and harassment policy, but was unable to provide further details about Abbington's specific allegations.
The BBC has recently made a public apology to Amanda Abbington, a former star on the popular show Strictly Come Dancing. After conducting an investigation into the behavior of professional dancer Giovanni Pernice towards Abbington, the BBC confirmed the verdict and took responsibility for their actions.
In a statement released by the broadcaster, they acknowledged some of the complaints made by Abbington against Pernice and cleared him of the more serious allegations. However, they did uphold complaints of verbal bullying and harassment, showing their commitment to taking such allegations seriously.
Abbington, who withdrew from the show last year for personal reasons, had previously spoken out about the toxic environment and inappropriate behavior she experienced while on the show. While there were no findings of physical aggression, the BBC understood the severity of the situation and launched a review into Abbington's complaints earlier this year.
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Pernice, who is not part of this year's Strictly line-up and has since joined an Italian dance show, has vehemently denied any claims of threatening or abusive behavior. However, the BBC's statement made it clear that they take these allegations seriously and have implemented measures to prevent such incidents from happening in the future.
The BBC's statement read: "We have assessed the complaints and we have upheld some, but not all, of the complaints made. We want to apologize to Amanda Abbington and thank her for coming forward and taking part in the investigation. We know this would not have been an easy thing to do."
The statement went on to explain that the production team had taken steps to address the issues at the time, but ultimately, they were not enough. The new measures introduced for Strictly stars and pro dancers include chaperones present during training, showing the BBC's commitment to creating a safe and positive environment for all involved.
In response to the report, Abbington expressed her relief and appreciation for the BBC's apology. She also spoke about the bravery it took for her to come forward and the backlash she faced for speaking out. Abbington hopes that this apology will encourage others to speak out and that the BBC will make the necessary changes to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
A spokesperson for Pernice also released a statement, stating that he was pleased with the outcome of the review and that the majority of allegations were not upheld. He looks forward to continuing his work on Dancing With The Stars in Italy this season.
The BBC's chief content officer also acknowledged that a number of complaints were upheld under their bullying and harassment policy, but could not provide further details about the allegations made by Abbington during her time on Strictly. The important thing now is that lessons have been learned, and the BBC is taking steps to ensure the safety and well-being of all involved in their productions.
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