Strictly live news: Amanda Abbington claims pro dancers sent her ominous Giovanni Pernice texts

As the Strictly scandal continues, the show’s remaining professionals are starting to rehearse for the forthcoming series, which will begin in September.

The show’s offiical Instagram account posted: “Day one of #Strictly 2024 rehearsals done! We can’t wait to share our new pro routines with everyone soon @bbciplayer,” to which Strictly co-host Claudia Winkleman shared her support for the dancers with a selection of heart emojis.

Other former stars to also share messages of support included Annabel Croft, Fleur East and, one day before releasing his tell-all interview with Amanda Abbington, Krishnan Gury-Murthy.

One day after her tell-all iterview with Krishnan Guru-Murthy, Amanda Abbington appeared on ITV’s Lorraine, which was hosted by Christine Lampard.

She claimed her troubles with Pernice started just three days into rehearsals, stating: “It was week one, the third day. I’ve got texts to the producer on the third day saying ‘This is awful, he hates me, I don’t know what I’m doing wrong’.’

The Sherlock star added: “I felt I had to speak up because I don’t want people to be frightened about speaking about if they’re being bullied or if they are in a difficult situation and they feel like they are not being heard.

“I do feel I have the right to say it was a toxic environment that I was in while I was rehearsing because it was. I know what happened in the room, and it would be remiss of me if i was to say it’s fine, I don’t want to talk about it.

“It’s important that women and men, because men get bullied as well, it’s important that women feel they are in a safe space where they can say this is inappropriate behaviour and it needs be recognised.

Amanda Abbington has said she does not want Strictly to end as a result of the scandal.

The Sherlock star stated: “I love Strictly, I always wanted to do that show. I think it’s a beautiful British institution. Most people on that show are wonderful and I’ve made some good friends on that show, I don’t want it to end.

“I want it to have a beautiful extended life because it’s Saturday night entertainment.”

However, Abbington said she “would like an apology” over her alleged mistreatment by pro dancer Giovanni Pernice, adding: “I would like this to not happen to women working in that corporation again and for it to be taken seriously”.

Amanda Abbington has revealed that she received rape and death threats to her children in the aftermath of withdrawing from Strictly Come Dancing.

Speaking to Channel 4 News on Wednesday, Abbington said the abuse had been “brutal, relentless and unforgiving” and she received dozens of threats a day towards herself and her children.

“The aftermath has been something that I wasn’t expecting. The death threats and the rape threats towards not only myself but my daughter, and the threats of death to my son,” she said.

In a statement addressing Amanda Abbington’s Channel 4 interview, in which she claimed there’s “50 hours” of Strictly rehearsal footage that “horrified” BBC producers, Giovanni Pernice’s spokesperson said:

“We are cooperating fully with the BBC’s review process. All parties have been asked to respect this process and to not speak to the media before it concludes. We will continue to respect the integrity of the investigation and believe it is the right forum for all the evidence to be reviewed.

“As part of the evidence-led review, the BBC has shared the allegations they have been able to substantiate with us. They do not resemble Amanda’s latest allegations, given to Channel 4, in any shape or form. Giovanni refutes any claim of threatening or abusive behaviour, and having provided the BBC with his evidence, is confident that the review will prove this.”

Amanda Abbington has claimed Strictly’s pro dancerrs text her saying “I’m so sorry” after they discovered she was partnered with Giovanni Pernice ahead of last year’s series.

The Sherlock star told her fellow 2023 contestant Krishnan Guru-Murthy for a Channel 4 News interview, who replied: “That’s a really odd thing to do”.

A tearful Abbington said people warned her it would be “tough”, but that she thought she could handle it “because I’ve been around the block a bit, you know?”

In a new interview with Krishnan Guru-Murthy for Channel 4 News, Abbington claimed that the show’s producers installed cameras in her rehearsal room after she raised concerns about Pernice.

“Every Friday, after the next sort of five weeks, I would get the producer saying, on the Friday, ‘We just watched the footage back, we are shocked and horrified, we’re so sorry’. That was to my face on the Friday when we would go in and do the camera rehearsal,” she said.

“It’s out there. There is evidence out there of what happened in that room and I’m not the one who’s blocking it. I’ve said anyone can watch it, but he [Giovanni] doesn’t want anyone to see it, which is quite telling if he’s got nothing to hide.”

Guru-Murthy, who appeared on the same season of Strictly as Abington, replied: “I heard, not from you, from somebody else, about an instance of, I suppose you’d call it humiliating behaviour of a sexual nature, is that right?”

A tearful Abbington replied: “Yeah. I mean, you know, one of the many things.”

Since January, Strictly Come Dancing has found itself at the centre of controversy – and things only seem to be getting worse.

Here is a timeline detailing everything you need to know.

Piers Morgan has made an offer to Strictly Come Dancing producers after numerous scandals hit the much loved dancing competition.

The ex-Good Morning Britain broadcaster, 59, claimed he could “save the day” for the BBC programme amid investigations into ongoing bullying and abuse claims against multiple Strictly professional dancers.