Amanda Abbington has reached a settlement with the BBC over bullying allegations she made during her time on Strictly Come Dancing.
Months after her exit from the BBC series, Abbington alleged that Pernice's behaviour was "unnecessary, abusive, cruel and mean" during their time on the show. Pernice denied all allegations of "abusive and threatening behaviour".
The BBC began an investigation into the accusations, with the former BBC director general Tim Davie saying he was "very sorry", admitting he was "disappointed" to find out about the complaints made by celebrities about their experiences on the show.
The BBC's investigation into Abbington's complaints concluded in September 2024, with the BBC issuing an apology to the actress.
As per BBC News, complaints of verbal bullying and harassment were upheld by the report, but claims of physical aggression and threatening behaviour were not.
The out-of-court settlement was a five-figure sum and was paid by BBC Studios, meaning it did not come from the licence fee.
The BBC declined to comment when approached by Radio Times.
Following its 2024 review, the BBC said in a statement: "We take any allegations of bullying and harassment very seriously and this review has taken time due to its complex nature and our desire to ensure a rigorous and robust process was undertaken.
"Strictly Come Dancing is a family show and we rightly expect very high standards. While competition can be tough, rigorous and demanding, we want the show to ultimately be a joyous and transformative experience. It is a great shame if this hasn’t been the case for everyone who has appeared on the show."
It continued: "We have assessed the complaints and we have upheld some, but not all, of the complaints made. We want to apologise to Amanda Abbington and to thank her for coming forward and taking part. We know this would not have been an easy thing to do.
"At the time, although the production team took steps to address the issues as they understood them, ultimately these were not enough. This is why the measures we have taken to further strengthen our existing protocols are so important.
"The BBC heard from a number of individuals in making its findings. We want to thank them for participating. The BBC has already taken extensive steps to enhance our duty of care for everyone on the show and a full note of these steps is published alongside this statement."
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Strictly Come Dancing returns next month, with a new cohort of 15 celebrities - and the series has had quite the shake-up.
This year's cast consists of Lacey Turner, Dani Dyer, Delta Goodrem, Chris Appleton, Cach Mercer, Will Best, Dame Sarah Storey, Jaime Winstone, Bethany Antonia, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Graeme Hall, Lawrence Robb, Tabby Stoecker, John Nellis and Melanie Walters.
Strictly Come Dancing is available to watch on catch-up on BBC iPlayer.
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