Amanda Abbington moving on from ‘one of the hardest years of my entire life’
The actress has delayed plans to get married and said there are ‘things that are hanging over us’.
Amanda Abbington has said it is time to move on from “one of the hardest years of my entire life”.
Last year, the Sherlock star, 51, alleged she was subjected to “inappropriate, mean, nasty bullying” in a “toxic environment” while she was a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing in 2023.
The actress, who has spoken previously about the “death threats and backlash” she received after speaking out, said she has delayed her wedding as “we’ve still got things that are hanging over us”.
“It’s been tricky, it was (tricky)”, she told ITV’s This Morning.
“We don’t want to go over old ground, obviously, that was done, and I’m happy with what happened.
“Well, not happy, but… I don’t regret what happened. It is time to move on for everybody now.
“But it was one of the hardest years of my entire life.”
The BBC upheld “some, but not all” of the allegations made by Abbington about her dance partner Giovanni Pernice – who has always denied the accusations.
Abbington was married to her Sherlock co-star Martin Freeman for 16 years before she started a relationship with Britain’s Got Talent star Jonathan Goodwin.
Welsh daredevil Goodwin was left paralysed during rehearsals of America’s Got Talent: Extreme.
Speaking about their forthcoming wedding, she said: “We just want to get this year out the way.
“We’ve still got things that are hanging over us in terms of like litigation and stuff like that with various things.
“So we want to get this year out the way and then focus fully on having a wonderful celebration next year.”
“I love him with all my heart. He has been such a rock and is so incredibly inspiring”, Abbington added.
Italian dancer Pernice, who rejected “any claim of threatening or abusive behaviour”, welcomed the conclusion of the BBC review.
Abbington had left the dance show early citing “personal reasons” before alleging “inappropriate behaviour”.
It is understood the corporation found no findings relating to physical aggression, but complaints of verbal bullying and harassment were upheld.
The fallout from the review sparked the BBC to update its duty of care practices on the show and led Strictly to having chaperones present when celebrities and dancers are practising their routines.
In 2024, Pernice was absent from the Strictly professional line-up, and went on to join the Italian equivalent called Ballando Con Le Stelle, which he won with actress and singer Bianca Guaccero.
Abbington appeared on the morning programme to speak about her latest play – (This Is Not A) Happy Room by Rosie Day, premiering at the King’s Head Theatre in London on March 26.
