Amanda Abbington reaches settlement with BBC over Strictly bullying claims
Amanda Abbington reaches settlement with BBC over Strictly bullying claims
Telegraph reportersSun, August 16, 2026 at 2:14 PM UTC
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Amanda Abbington said Giovanni Pernice had bullied and harassed her - Guy Levy/BBC
Amanda Abbington has reached a substantial settlement with the BBC over bullying allegations she made about her time on Strictly Come Dancing.
The BBC series was the subject of a review in 2024 after the 52-year-old actress alleged that Giovanni Pernice, her professional partner, had bullied and harassed her during the competition.
Pernice, the Italian dancer, rejected “any claim of threatening or abusive behaviour” and welcomed the conclusion of the review, in which the corporation upheld some but not all of the complaints.
It is understood that the out-of-court settlement was a five-figure sum and was paid by BBC Studios, meaning the funds did not come from the licence fee.
The corporation made no findings relating to physical aggression in its 2024 review, but complaints of verbal bullying and harassment were upheld, it was understood.
Abbington left the celebrity dance show early, citing “personal reasons”, before alleging “inappropriate behaviour”.
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In October 2024, the Sherlock actress said she had not ruled out taking legal action.
Dance chaperone
After the review, the BBC introduced a series of measures aimed at improving welfare on the show, including the introduction of a chaperone present “at all times” during training-room rehearsals.
Pernice was absent from the Strictly professional line-up in 2024 and went on to join the Italian equivalent called Ballando con le Stelle, which he won with Bianca Guaccero, an actress and singer.
Strictly is preparing for its next series, which airs in September, with three new hosts – Emma Willis, a broadcaster, Josh Widdicombe, a comedian, and Johannes Radebe, a former professional dancer – replacing Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.
The BBC has also confirmed five new professional dancers are joining: Aleksandra Isaeva, Cristian Priori, Lethabo Monametsi, Maddie Ingoldsby and Mark Karmalita.
Celebrity contestants for the 2026 series include Dani Dyer-Bowen, a former Love Island winner, Melanie Walters, a Gavin and Stacey actress, Shaun Wright-Phillips, a former England footballer, and Delta Goodrem, an Australian singer.
The BBC declined to comment on the settlement, and representatives for Abbington were contacted for comment.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
