Strictly Come Dancing's Amanda Abbington reveals Giovanni Pernice texts pinpoint when issues started

Amanda Abbington has spoken in her first live TV interview about her experience on Strictly Come Dancing, admitting texts that pinpoint exactly when issues started for her with dance partner Giovanni Pernice.

The Sherlock actress has previously made accusations about the teaching methods of Giovanni during their time working together on the BBC One dance show last year. Amanda pulled out in week five of the 2023 series, citing 'personal reasons'.

It later emerged she'd made a formal complaint about Giovanni, who has since left the hit programme as he refutes any claims of wrongdoing following her claims of "unnecessary, abusive, cruel and mean" behaviour.

READ MORE: Stacey Solomon 'can't believe it' as she shares 'ridiculous' emotional update with Joe Swash

She has now described the “toxic environment” she felt she was in while rehearsing for Strictly as she told how she was speaking to media now as part of press for her new play, with it inevitable she'd be able to address the fallout from her experience on the show.

"I do feel I have the right to say it was a toxic environment I was in when I was rehearsing because it was," she told Christine Lampard on ITV's Lorraine on Thursday (July 25). "It’s important that women feel they are in a safe space where they can say, 'This is inappropriate behaviour and it needs to be recognised.'"

She added: "It was inappropriate, it was mean, it was nasty, it was bullying and I put up with it for five weeks. It started very early on and when it started to happen I shut down because I recognised those red flags.”

Amanda said the issues began early on, saying: “It was week one, the third day. ’ve got texts to the producer on the third day saying "This is awful, he hates me, I don’t