The BBC is reportedly throwing its backing behind Strictly Come Dancing professional Giovanni Pernice amid reports former celeb partner Amanda Abbington is "demanding" footage from their time training together.
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The Sherlock star - who left for "personal reasons" in October days after a rather uncomfortable It Takes Two interview - is reportedly seeking "legal advice" after claiming she's been left with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) following her stint on the show.
Reports of a feud plagued Abbington's time on Strictly Come Dancing and were heightened when she omitted him from her farewell statement.
Several of Pernice's former Strictly partners including Ranvir Singh, Laura Whitmore and Richie Anderson showed their support for Abbington at the time of their Strictly departure as they shared messages of support on the social media post confirming her exit.
However, this week, Pernice's former dance partner Debbie McGee has publicly thrown her backing behind Pernice with a supportive social media post of her own - prompting Pernice to break cover for the first time since reports of Abbington's demands emerged in order to "thank" her.
Now, Pernice has reportedly been given another display of support after the Beeb - who'd already reportedly decided against investigating the dancer - "arranged a call between show execs and Pernice's management where they offered him their full support".
Giovanni Pernice and Amanda Abbington left last year's Strictly ahead of Week Five
GETTY
According to The Sun, BBC bosses also checked on Pernice's mental wellbeing amid the claims.
Pernice has also been assured of his spot in the BBC dance competition moving forward, the publication claimed.
A source said: "It’s no secret Gio and Amanda had a tricksy relationship — but there are two sides to every story.
"Bosses arranged a call between his management and show execs to discuss recent coverage and make sure he was okay as obviously he’s faced a hell of a lot of stick over the past couple of months.
"The feeling is he is a tough taskmaster, but hasn’t bullied or abused anyone.
"The BBC see him as a key face of Strictly and will do all they can to support him."
GB News has contacted the BBC for comment on the reports of an emergency meeting.
Abbington isn't the only celebrity contestant to have issued complaints about their tenure on the show working alongside Pernice.
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Amanda Abbington is reportedly seeking "legal advice" about her time working with Giovanni Pernice
BBC
Former Love Island host Whitmore slammed the BBC for making her "spend 12 hours a day with one person".
"What I didn’t like was being removed from everybody and having to spend 12 hours a day with this one person,” she said to Made in Chelsea’s Jamie Laing and Francis Boulle on their Private Parts podcast.
“It did not become about the dancing. I just wanted to dance. I did not want to play the game of doing red carpets with your dance partner and stuff like that, which a lot of people thought you should be doing. I did not want to do that."
She also said in a 2018 interview with the Huff Post that she was "extremely uncomfortable with" Pernice "and in the end I felt broken".
She added: "I cried every day. And I really was broken, both mentally and physically, by the end."
Pernice joined Strictly back in 2015 and has been partnered with Georgia May Foote, Whitmore, McGee, Faye Tozer, Michelle Visage, Singh, Rose Ayling-Ellis, Anderson and Abbington.
