Amanda Abbington says she was made a ‘villain’ following Strictly controversy
Amanda Abbington has reflected on her Strictly Come Dancing experience saying she was made out to be a “villain”.
Last year, the 51-year-old Sherlock star complained about her treatment during rehearsals at the hands of professional dancer Giovanni Pernice. The pair were partnered for the 2023 series of the dance competition, with Abbington dropping out for “medical reasons”.
The BBC issued an apology to the actor after a nine-month investigation upheld some of her complaints and cleared Pernice of the more serious allegations.
Abbington has previously discussed the backlash to her comments, admitting that she had received death threats. Pernice and the actor have been involved in public back-and-forths ever since.
The star has now said that she has been unfairly vilified for expressing valid concerns, saying her intention had been to say: “Let’s just have a safe space, let’s just take five minutes to make sure we are all happy,” she told The Times.
But, she added: “I was made out to be the villain.”
She explained: “The fallout from it wasn’t something I was anticipating, but I’m glad I did it, I am. I’m glad that I stood up for myself because it’s the first time I’ve ever really done that.’”
Part of Abbington’s motivation to make her complaints public were due to being bullied growing up.
“That’s why I did what I did last year, because of being bullied extensively as a child,” she explained. “I’ve seen what happens when people are bullied and how introverted they become and how it can affect them. You see it on social media right now.”
Despite the backlash Abbington said “so many women came up to me and gave me hugs and thanked me for what I did.”
Yet, Abbington who has aspirations to write and direct in the future, says she is unsure of her status in the wider industry after the complaints.
“I don’t know what the industry thinks of me at the moment,” she said. “I’ve been immersed in the aftermath of it all for a year.
“I don’t know whether I’ve been cancelled or whether people don’t like me any more, but I know I did what I did for the right reasons. I feel good about the future.”
She added: “Last year was one of the worst years of my entire life. I was very close to having a breakdown because of the constant barrage of abuse and hideousness.”
