AMANDA Abbington has ‘one last throw of the dice’ before Giovanni Pernice is ‘set to be cleared’ in the Strictly Come Dancing bullying probe, reports say.
According to Mail Online, bosses investigating The Sherlock actress’ claims against the under-fire pro have found her evidence to be ‘thin’ and they believe she may have been ‘out to get’ Giovanni.
The publication claims that Giovanni is “set to be exonerated” by bosses, but Amanda, 50, was last one card up her sleeve in the form of a ‘short video clip’ he sent to her on WhatsApp.
Sources within the BBC have confirmed the clip is “sex-related'” but in its nature was “very much banter”, the Mail alleges.
The report even goes on to claim that Amanda “found it funny” at the time she received it, but is now hoping the message will boost her chances of the investigation going her way.
The insider said: “This is literally the last thing that Amanda has got, so, of course, she will be hoping that it sticks. It’s the only thing that is in any way tangible against Giovanni.“
Those close to the probe, however, claim that very little has been found to prove Amanda’s grievances against Giovanni.
“The BBC wanted to exonerate Mr Pernice because nothing that Amanda said stuck,”‘ alleged the source. “There was absolutely nothing there to get him on – and, from the messages they saw, the picture was quite the opposite. He had been very supportive of her.£
They continued: “Even Amanda admits she can be a nightmare, she can get very angry and then calm down quickly. It’s how she is – and Giovanni tolerated a lot so they were absolutely going to clear his name.
“Amanda had been telling her friends that she knew Giovanni not going to be found guilty. It was obviously a huge disappointment for her after investing so many months in her complaint.”
It comes as The Sun on Sunday revealed that reveal the results of the three-month investigation into the claims by Amanda and various other stars are unlikely to be announced this month.
As well as Amanda handing over more texts at the last minute, which has “changed the course of the probe”, there is also believed to be another factor for the delay.
The furore surrounding Jermaine Jenas, who was sacked from the One Show and Match Of The Day amid inappropriate texts, may also have contributed to things taking longer than expected.
The source added: “The BBC is in crisis mode.
“They were still reeling from the Huw Edwards scandal.
“They know all eyes are on them as to what they will do about the black cloud hanging over Strictly so they need to make sure they announce their decision at the right moment.
“It’s looking more likely that it will be next month now, meaning the whole thing could drag into the new series.
“The BBC also knows that whatever they announce is very unlikely to be the end of the matter.
“They are bracing themselves for appeals and potentially more complaints so are determined to get their ducks in a row before they make any public announcement.”
Strictly Come Dancing's scandal has been growing over the past few months, with several major players speaking out about what went on. Here are the key moments of what's happened so far
16th May: Giovanni Pernice sensationally quits Strictly Come Dancing after nine years on the show.
17th May: Giovanni becomes the centre of an official investigation after three former partners – believed to be Amanda Abbington, Laura Whitmore and Ranvir Singh – make complaints to the BBC.
16th June: Giovanni releases an official statement vowing to clear his name and denies any wrongdoing.
8th July: Strictly confirms Aljaz Skorjanec will return to the series, replacing Giovanni, after initially quitting the show two years ago.
10th July: Amanda Abbington launches fresh legal proceedings to get the rehearsal footage from her time with Giovanni, after allegedly he refused to release the videos.
13th July: Graziano Di Prima is axed from Strictly for “gross misconduct” after footage of his treatment of Zara McDermott is brought to the attention of the BBC.
Graziano quickly broke his silence, apologising for his behaviour in a statement and saying he “deeply regrets it”, adding his “intense passion and determination to win might have affected his training regime.”
15th July: Strictly bosses implement new duty of care protocols, including having a chaperone present throughout all rehearsals.
16th July: Zara McDermott speaks out publicly for first time. She states while the production team were “amazing to work with”, she found the rehearsal room “completely different”, confirming there’s footage of “certain situations”.
19th July: Anton Du Beke is put under the spotlight for his “1970s attitude” and treatment of female celeb stars, particularly after allegedly referring to 2009 partner Laila Rouass as a “p***” after getting a spray tan.
21st July: Paralympian Will Bayley, who has limb condition arthrogryposis, revealed he was encouraged to leap from a table during a dance routine, despite fears. The stunt caused an injury that forced him to withdraw from the show.
22nd July: MasterChef’s Gregg Wallace admits he broke down in tears and got a nasty stress rash on his face during his time on Strictly in 2014.
22nd July: Despite ongoing issues, the Strictly professional cast begin rehearsals for this year’s series.
23rd July: Celebrity agent Melanie Blake claims she was sexually assaulted by an unnamed pro dancer while backstage on the show, and claims she witnessed ageism, rudeness and a rough treatment to the point of injury.
23rd July: Strictly is forced to beef up security after ‘an intruder scales the wall of the rehearsal studio’.
23rd July: BBC boss Tim Davie breaks his silence on the ongoing allegations against Strictly, saying he is ‘deeply sorry’, adding: “Hundreds of people, be they pros, contestants or crew have been part of it and had a brilliant experience.
“At the same time if someone thinks there was something wrong or they want to talk about their experience then of course we want them to raise that with us. Be in no doubt we will take it seriously, listen and deal with it as appropriate.”
24th July: Strictly 2023 star Krishnan Guru-Murthy holds a bombshell interview with Amanda Abbington on Channel 4 news, where she claims she was bullied, with some of the ‘humilation being of a sexual nature’.
27th July: Laura Whitmore releases a statement regarding her Strictly experience, saying “I thought my experience was specific to me but I’ve since learned I was wrong”.
She adds she is not part of the official complaint, but has come forward to support Amanda with the BBC, alongside others.
28th July: Laila Rouass speaks out against the accusations regarding Anton Du Beke, saying she “never felt pressured” by him and “personally insisted on six to seven hours training a day”.
August 10: Graziano breaks his silence on his Strictly axe, saying “these vile, false allegations have ruined my life.”
He also told of the “shocking” end to his friendship with Zara McDermott.
