Amanda Abbington has deleted social media (Picture: BBC)
Amanda Abbington appears to have disappeared from the internet following Giovanni Pernice’s exit from Strictly Come Dancing.
The Sherlock actress took part in the BBC dance show with Italian pro Giovanni as her partner, however, she left mid-way through, citing health reasons at the time.
Rumours of a feud between the TV star, 52, and her partner, 33, later emerged, with Amanda allegedly asking for their training sessions to be recorded to capture his harsh teaching style on camera.
Giovanni has denied the allegations against him, which have seen three other ex-Strictly stars speak out. But, he will not be back on the show this series.
The pro line-up was confirmed today (June 10), with all other professionals – including Kai Widdrington, Neil Jones, Dianne Buswell, and Nadia Bychkova – returning, while Giovanni’s name was noticeably missing.
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Amanda hasn’t spoken publicly about his departure from the show, but fans are speculating she wishes to avoid public backlash by deleting her social media profiles.
She made a series of damning allegations against Giovanni Pernice (Picture: BBC/Guy Levy)
At the time of writing, Amanda’s accounts on X and Instagram no longer exist.
It comes after Amanda recently branded Giovanni ‘nasty’ in an interview, breaking her silence for the first time since the accusations of misconduct surfaced.
‘I asked for them to be recorded, it was me. Giovanni is nasty. He was awful to a few of us, a group of us,’ she told Daily Mail+ of her training sessions.
‘You don’t understand how awful this all is. Giovanni’s fans have started trolling me now. I have had to come off social media and I’m getting death threats.’
Amanda also claimed she complained to BBC producers early into the series, and said she suffered post-traumatic stress disorder after working with Giovanni.
Meanwhile, a male star is said to have also ‘been in touch with the lawyers’ acting for the complainants.
‘He personally reached out to the women at the heart of this unfolding crisis, offering them his support and full backing,’ said a source.
The Italian pro will not be back on Strictly this year (Picture: BBC/Ray Burmiston)
‘He has also been in touch with Carter Ruck and told them what he knows and shared his experiences. These experiences were, at times, very tricky,’ they added when speaking to The Sun.
As for Giovanni, there is no trace of Strictly in his Instagram bio, nor has he addressed his dancefloor departure with a personal statement.
Previously, he rejected ‘any suggestion of abusive or threatening behaviour’ with a lengthy message, saying he looked forward to ‘clearing [his] name’.
The BBC is believed to be investigating the allegations against him, rumoured to have also come from past partners Laura Whitmore and Ranvir Singh.
Making a rare comment, the BBC told Metro.co.uk: ‘It is a longstanding position that the BBC does not comment on specific matters related to individuals.
‘Nor ordinarily, would we comment on whether we are reviewing any individual complaints.
Amanda has branded him ‘nasty’ (Picture: BBC/Guy Levy)
An investigation is ongoing (Picture: BBC)
‘Recently, we have seen a number of media reports about a high-profile show. We would urge people not to indulge in speculation. Anyone involved in a complaint has a right to confidentiality and fair process.’
Strictly returns to the BBC later this year, with Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman back as hosts while Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, and Anton Du Beke sit behind the judges’ desk.
The pro cast consists of old favourites, such as longest-serving star Karen Hauer, Johannes Radebe, and Graziano Di Prima, plus newer dancers Carlos Gu, Lauren Oakley, and Michelle Tsiakkas.
To the joy of viewers, Amy Dowden is also back after stepping down last year due to her breast cancer treatment.
Which professional dancers will be in Strictly Come Dancing 2024?
The full line-up of professional dancers includes:
Dianne Buswell
Nadiya Bychkova
Graziano Di Prima
Amy Dowden
Karen Hauer
Katya Jones
Neil Jones
Nikita Kuzmin
Gorka Marquez
Luba Mushtuk
Jowita Przystal
Johannes Radebe
Kai Widdrington
Nancy Xu
Carlos Gu
Lauren Oakley
Michelle Tsiakkas
Vito Coppola
Confirming her return, she took to Instagram with a delightful caption: ‘I’m so happy and grateful to be back on @bbcstrictly 💖🎀🙏 MY HEART IS SO HAPPY. The best team on and off the dance floor. I can’t wait to be back doing what I love most in the world, dancing! Feel blessed and more excited than EVER. Bring it on!’
She thanked the team for their support and declared ‘Amy’s back’.
Reps for Amanda Abbington have been contacted for comment.
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