Actress Amanda Abbington, 52, has reached an out of court settlement with the BBC, a five figure sum paid by BBC Studios rather than the licence fee, following her complaint that she experienced bullying during her time on Strictly Come Dancing.
Abbington left the show early in 2024, initially citing personal reasons before later alleging inappropriate behavior from her professional dance partner, Giovanni Pernice. A subsequent BBC review upheld some complaints of verbal bullying and harassment, though it made no findings of physical aggression. Pernice has denied the allegations, rejecting any claim of threatening or abusive behaviour.
Pernice was absent from Strictly's 2024 lineup in the aftermath and instead joined the Italian version of the show, Ballando Con Le Stelle, which he went on to win. In response to the case, the BBC has introduced new welfare measures, including a chaperone present during all training room rehearsals, a change aimed at preventing similar disputes going forward.
The settlement arrives as the BBC prepares for its next series, having already announced new hosts and professional dancers for the upcoming September run. The corporation declined to comment on the settlement itself, and representatives for Abbington had not responded for comment at the time of reporting, leaving the financial resolution as the clearest public marker of how the dispute was ultimately closed.