Laura danced alongside Giovanni when she appeared on Strictly back in 2016 (Image: Daily Record)
‘s ex- partner Laura Whitmore has finally spoken out following the release of the Amanda Abbington investigation results. The professional dancer, who served on the show for nearly a decade before stepping down, broke his silence after being absolved of accusations levelled against him on Strictly.
The Italian hoofer expressed relief that “it’s over” on social media. Sharing a video on , the 34 year old admitted the past half year had been challenging as he refrained from responding “because I wanted to keep the confidentiality and privacy of the review”.
After a six-month probe into Amanda Abbington’s allegations, bosses concluded that the Italian was not physically abusive. However, Amanda’s complaints about verbal bullying and harassment were validated.
Out of a total of 16 allegations against Pernice, six were substantiated. Some of these included Giovanni using profanity.
The report stated the dancer’s language could be ‘belittling’ towards his partner, reports .
The BBC has apologised to Amanda Abbington and upheld some of her complaints (Image: CH4/UNPIXS)
In light of the report findings, the issued an apology to former contestant Amanda Abbington, confirming it had upheld “some, but not all, of the complaints made”. Now, Giovanni’s previous partner Laura has broken her silence.
The ex-Love Island host, 39, who was paired with the Italian dancer in 2016, was one of the celebrities who spoke to the as part of the investigations after what she termed as his ‘inappropriate’ behaviour on the show.
Laura has lambasted the , claiming they ‘gaslighted’ her over a distressing period with the Italian dancer Giovanni, as revealed in her stories following the outcome of an investigation. She expressed, “‘I hope this helps people realise they should not be subjected to abusive behaviour in the workplace.”
Giovanni thanked his fans for their support on Instagram as he broke his silence (Image: Instagram )
With stark clarity, Laura stated, “Things can be twisted online and there’s so much more to this but in black and white there were complaints upheld and an apology made. And the perpetrator no longer works for the channel.”
Support surged from Laura when Amanda aired grievances against Giovanni earlier this year, with Laura swiftly stepping forward to echo the Sherlock star’s grim revelations by divulging her ‘own experience’. Laura boldly voiced her position on , penning, “I was trying not to comment on recent press speculation until the review is complete but feel there is a lot of misinformation in the press and I want to help and show support by setting the record straight.”
In her attempts to clarify the situation further, Laura disclosed on , “I was asked to speak to the along with six people that I know of (who deserve anonymity as they don’t want to be dragged through the press), about inappropriate behaviour they experienced similar to mine with the same individual.”
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“I initially raised concerns back in 2016. I thought my experience was specific to me but I’ve since learned I was wrong. The aim of this is to show a pattern of behaviour that I believe needs to stop. My evidence is to support other people’s experience. It’s a shame it takes this for someone to be heard.”
The former Love Island host continued: “I am not looking for anything just an acceptance that what happened to me in the rehearsal rooms during my time on Strictly was wrong and that it won’t happen to anyone else again.”
“Because I have not made an official complaint, and am providing evidence of my experience to support the investigation, not all the communication will be passed on to all parties involved.”
Laura Whitmore and Giovanni Pernice are in the dance off on ‘Strictly Come Dancing: Results’. Broadcast on BBC OneHD Featuring: Laura Whitmore, Giovanni Pernice When: 06 Nov 2016 Credit: Supplied by WENN **WENN does not claim any ownership including but not limited to Copyright, License in attached material. Fees charged by WENN are for WENN’s services only, do not, nor are they intended to, convey to the user any ownership of Copyright, License in material. By publishing this material you expressly agree to indemnify, to hold WENN, its directors, shareholders, employees harmless from any loss, claims, damages, demands, expenses (including legal fees), any causes of action, allegation against WENN arising out of, connected in any way with publication of the material.** (Image: Supplied by WENN)
“Misinformation is being put into the press so I want to set the record straight. Victim blaming must stop or we will never get better. I’ve tried to speak up in the correct way. I know the and all outlets continue to do their best to be better, but for that to happen we must speak up.”
Following the investigation’s closure, Amanda issued a statement detailing her distressing ordeal since lodging the complaints. She revealed: “In the year since I made the complaints I have been accused of ‘being a liar, a troublemaker and of being ‘mad and unstable'”.
She also disclosed: “I’ve also received rape and murder threats. My family and children have been subjected to threats and intimidation.”
Laura Whitmore and Giovanni Pernice were paired on Strictly (Image: BBC)
“Despite this vile abuse, I’ve never regretted coming forward, and today’s apology from the is a vindication of my complaint. It’s also a vindication for the others who have contacted me to express concerns about their own experiences on Strictly.”
“I hope those who have felt unable to speak out will now be more confident that they will be believed. The has invited me to meet with senior management and this is something I will now be considering. This apology means a great deal to me. So too does the fact that the have acknowledged the steps that were put in place to support and protect me and past contestants were “not enough”.”
“What matters most is that lessons have been learned and the makes the promised changes, to ensure others don’t experience the same ordeal.”