Giovanni Pernice given huge backing by fellow TV pro amid Abbington row: 'Pros stand with pros'

Abbington quit Strictly for "personal reasons" but rumours of a feud between her and Pernice have been rife ever since, culminating in the Sherlock star reportedly suffering from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).

After reports of Abbington's "demands" emerged, further claims and question marks over his strict conduct behind the scenes have hit headlines, such as reported complaints from Ranvir Singh and alleged clashes with Faye Tozer and Michelle Visage.

However, Pernice has been publicly supported by former partner Debbie McGee, the BBC has said it won't investigate the matter, and now, Murphy has shared her take on the saga when speaking to GB News ahead of the new series of Dancing on Ice.

"I think what happens - obviously, I'm a professional, I think Giovanni is great. I will as a pro stand with the pros and you're like, 'He's doing the best he can'," Murphy insisted.

"I think it's great that the BBC is backing him... BBC and ITV are very different and I think it's great that the BBC has come out and made sure he's alright."

However, Murphy went on to shed light on how she avoided any kind of fallout when she was tasked with differing personalities and offered suggestions on how to deal with such situations.

"It's really hard because you have to gauge each person as an individual," she explained. "So every time that you want to think to yourself, 'This is a dance competition', or, 'This is a skating competition'. It's not, it's a TV show. And we need to remember that as professionals.

"That's why I think it's smart what the BBC does with Strictly, they keep their professionals on year after year after year, and they learn that it's a TV show.

"They've learned that even if they had the best dancer, they might not win because they didn't have a big following, or they understand that like it's going to be hard to gauge where they are.

"But Dancing on Ice has pros all over the place while Strictly keeps them and I think that's what makes you fall in love with the show more because you fall in love with the professionals.

"The hard part is every person is different. Every single time I went in, I had to have a completely different teaching structure.

"My goal at the end of the day, obviously, as a competitor, I want to win, but sometimes, I know they're not going to. Sometimes I meet them on the first day and I'm like, 'Look, we're not going to win. So what are our goals? What do we need to do?'

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"I think you have to assess each person differently (but) you do have to be strict with them.

"Some people like it - Brian McFadden, he did not respond well when he was being told (off), it was too strict, so I knew I had to be kind of like, 'Maybe we need a coffee break? Shall we go get a cookie? Are you hungry?'

"I kind of understand that and I think that that makes a good coach, a good teacher, understanding everyone's different.

"But it is really, really hard to gauge it because as a pro if you get so driven on the end goal of winning which we all do - let's be honest, we all do - then that's when there is problems."

GB News has contacted reps from both stars and the BBC for comment on the reports.