Former Strictly Come Dancing pro Giovanni Pernice suggested that he could have a cup of tea beside Amanda Abbington recently, though it’s now been teased that she wouldn’t do that
It’s been reported that Giovanni Pernice’s suggestion that he could have a “nice cup of tea” with Amanda Abbington isn’t something that she would be interested in.
Professional dancer Giovanni, now 34, and actor Amanda, now 50, were paired up for Strictly Come Dancing last year. It was later reported that the BBC were investigating allegations made against Giovanni by Amanda. She made allegations of “bullying” and “aggressive behaviour,” with Giovanni strongly denying “abusive or threatening behaviour”.
The results of the BBC’s internal investigation were released just weeks ago and it was reported that the broadcaster ruled that Giovanni was not physically abusive, but complaints about verbal bullying and harassment were upheld. Out of up to 17 allegations against him, six were upheld. The BBC apologised to Amanda and thanked her for coming forward in a statement issued at the time.
Giovanni spoke about the outcome of the review during an appearance on ITV’s Lorraine on Tuesday, with him interviewed by Christine Lampard. Asked if he would want to say anything to Amanda or apologise if they came face-to-face, Giovanni said: “I think we would have a nice cup of tea, [and] probably have a chat and talk about what happened in that room.”
The Sun reports that Amanda has however “slapped down” Giovanni’s suggestion and the outlet reports that a source said: “If Giovanni is putting the kettle on and waiting to speak to Amanda, it will be ice cold. The only meeting she will attend is one with the BBC to raise concerns about the handling of the investigation.”
As previously reported, in a statement announcing the conclusion of the review into Amanda’s claims, the BBC said: “The BBC has now concluded its review into the complaints made by [Amanda] against [Giovanni]. 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] 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.”
The BBC added: “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 then issued a statement in which she said that the apology “meant a lot” to her. She said as part of her statement: “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]. 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.” She added: “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.”
Giovanni also addressed the outcome of the review, saying in a video message to fans at the time: “Reading stuff that were untrue, wasn’t the nicest time of my life lets be honest. But today I’m happy because, you know, at the beginning there were very very serious allegations thrown out at me but as in today, none of the serious allegations have been upheld. All the threatening, abusive, harassment behaviour allegations have not been upheld.” And in a written statement, a spokesperson for him said: “We are pleased that this six-month review has not found any evidence of threatening or abusive behaviour by Giovanni. [He] is relieved that the overwhelming majority of allegations out to the BBC have not been upheld and looks forward to continuing his work on Dancing With The Stars in Italy this season.”
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