Actress Amanda Abbington has opened up about the mixed reaction she’s received following her rough ride on Strictly Come Dancing last year. Just five weeks into dancing with Giovanni Pernice on the show, she made the decision to quit and later claimed her experience on the show contributed to her PTSD.
Chatting to The Sunday Times magazine, the 50-year-old revealed: “I have people in shops giving me cuddles and saying, ‘We love you, we think you’re great’. It’s the people that are hiding behind computers that want you to die of cancer.”
The London-born actress, famed for her role in Sherlock, has certainly weathered a storm of personal challenges from her marriage to co-star Martin Freeman ending, which left her feeling suicidal, to her stuntman boyfriend Jonathan Goodwin suffering severe injuries during a failed America’s Got Talent: Extreme stunt.
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And let’s not forget the bitter Strictly drama. Amanda remains tight-lipped about the specifics of her fallout with dance pro Giovanni, as she insisted: “I didn’t want to cause anyone any harm. I’m not a vindictive person. I’m not a cruel person or hateful, but when I’m in a rehearsal room I make sure that it’s a place where everyone feels safe and feels like they’re having a nice time.”
Strictly’s Giovanni has denied any wrongdoing and has taken part in the BBC’s internal investigation into the matter. Since allegations about his behaviour emerged, he has also left the show after nine series.
Expressing her fear of going public about the issue, she shared: “The idea that I’m this monster who’s trying to destroy somebody’s career is just laughable to me now,” reports the Express.
A source previously revealed that the dancer has “a tough training method” which often left Amanda “bruised.”
Firing back at the fiery accusations, Pernice took to Instagram to say: “To my dear fans, you will be as surprised as I am that allegations have been made about my dance teaching methods in the media this week.
“Of course, I reject any suggestion of abusive or threatening behaviour, and I look forward to clearing my name.”
After receiving a backlash from his die-hard supporters, including disgusting remarks aimed at her and her young teen daughter, Amanda has bowed out from social media.
She has since turned her attention to a role in a play supervised by the revolutionary director Jez Bond, as well as continuing to look after her boyfriend following his tragedy.
The accident saw her beau Jonathan catastrophically injured, sustaining breaks to both shoulder blades, legs, and spine.
He’s mastering the art of walking again using high-tech “cyborg legs” that might just see him strut down the aisle at his upcoming nuptials to Amanda next year. It’s set to be a dream come true for the pair after enduring a tough couple of years.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
