Amanda Abbington has reportedly again slammed Giovanni Pernice of ‘stamping on her foot’ during his ‘militant’ training sessions on Strictly Come Dancing.
Giovanni Denies it
The professional dancer, 33, who so far vehemently denies any claims of threatening or abusive behaviour and has vowed to ‘clear his name’, stepped down from the show after eight years this week.
This comes as the BBC investigates ‘serious workplace misconduct claims’ by three of his celebrity partners.
Off the back of Giovanni’s departure to Portugal, friends close to Amanda, 52, have spoken about how she found the pro dancer ‘abrasive’ and would have to have ‘crisis talks’ with show bosses every week after being left in floods of tears at his ‘tough’ training method with claims it left her ‘bruised’.
What Was Said About Gio
‘Amanda had a terrible experience with Gio. She felt his behaviour was bullying and abrasive. She would be in tears as communication between them broke down. She tried every avenue to try and make it work,’ a source told The Sun.
‘There would be crisis talks every Friday after producers watched back the video footage of their rehearsals but it would always end up toxic again by the end of the following week.
‘Runners would check in on the training weekly and she would regularly be seen crying and feeling very sad and despondent, she desperately wanted it to work but invariably it would break down.’
Why Amanda Left the Competition
Amanda left the competition mid-way through the series, citing personal reasons after weeks of rumours about a feud with Giovanni.
The Sherlock star said she was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and demanded to see footage from rehearsals.
READ ALSO: Amanda Abbington WENT ‘nuclear’ on finding out Giovanni was to be ‘welcomed back’ to Strictly
Giovanni Reacts
Giovanni shared a post to Instagram detailing that he was ‘totally surprised’ by the allegations, which he denies.
He said in a statement: ‘You will be as surprised as I am that allegations have been made about my dance teaching methods in the media this week.
‘Of course, I reject any suggestion of abusive or threatening behaviour, and I look forward to clearing my name.
‘Those who have followed my journey on Strictly Come Dancing over the last decade will know that I am passionate and competitive. No-one is more ambitious for my dance partners than me.
‘Thank you all once again for your continued love and support!’
Following his post, fans rushed to the comments to share their thoughts with the professional dancer as many of them confessed their love for him.
