BBC spends staggering ‘six-figure sum’ investigating Amanda Abbington’s claims against Giovanni Pernice

The BBC has reportedly paid a “six-figure sum” to fully investigate allegations made by actress Amanda Abbington against her former show partner Giovanni Pernice.

The broadcaster’s alleged huge spending comes just hours after The Sun revealed Giovanni’s shocking phone call to his 2023 Strictly partner, midway through the investigation.

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His contact, made via a mobile phone, came about after the BBC’s investigation team attempted to track down missing footage of the pair’s Strictly rehearsals.

Giovanni, 33, quit the BBC programme earlier this year.

His departure comes as the BBC is currently investigating him for misconduct following complaints made by several of his former celebrity dance partners, allegations he has vehemently denied.

Now MailOnline reports that more than £250,000 has been spent on the research.

According to the publication, this also included paying two former Metropolitan Police officers to give evidence to celebrities, staff and professionals past and present.

It is said that these payments also covered the wages of external staff, including HR personnel.

A source told the publication of the ‘nightmare’ financial scenario, saying: ‘A huge amount of money and time has been spent on this, making sure the right decisions were made at all times.

“But that meant having outsiders look at the evidence and that came at a high cost.

“It has been going on for months now and several lawyers are involved. It is a financial headache and the costs will continue to mount until the investigation is completed.

“Even then, it’s likely there will be payouts. It’s a nightmare.”

A Strictly spokesperson declined to comment.

Earlier, Sherlock star Amanda told The Lorraine Show that she had expressed concerns about the Italian’s behaviour in the very first week.

In the same investigation, his Italian colleague Graziano Di Prima was also fired after allegations of “physical incidents” against his show partner Zara McDermott, 27.

Giovanni Pernice Strict Scandal Timeline

October 2023: Amanda abruptly pulls out of Strictly after missing one live show. Her departure is announced in a vague BBC statement that ‘wishes her well’.

Giovanni posted a short message on social media addressing the exit: “Amanda… I’m so sad we can’t move forward, but I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished and I’m sending you lots of love.”

Amanda then shares her own farewell statement on Instagram in which she thanks her fellow players, but forgets to mention Gio.

Giovanni’s father Piero insists there were no signs of a falling out and that the pairing could have worked out perfectly, praising his son as kind and polite.

November 2023: Giovanni is reportedly devastated by the situation and is considering his future on Strictly as questions are raised over his behaviour.

January 2024: Amanda discovers she has PTSD and demands CCTV footage of the rehearsals to prove that Giovanni’s training methods were unacceptable.

In a statement, the BBC defended its duty of care to candidates and stressed that it takes all allegations of misconduct very seriously.

The Corporation Stands Behind Its Man After Emergency Meeting

March 2024: Giovanni openly declares in a TV interview with his good friend Anton du Beke that he has no intention of leaving Strictly.

Ranvir Singh and Laura Whitmore enter the picture. The two celebrities, who both previously worked with Giovanni on Strictly, reportedly felt the BBC wasn’t taking their concerns about his methods seriously enough.

The couple have a private meeting with Amanda, where tears are reportedly shed.

May 2024: We reveal that Giovanni is leaving the programme after talks with show bosses

He leaves the country with his girlfriend Molly Brown on vacation

The BBC is launching an internal investigation after three complainants hired lawyers, with a source describing it as a “nightmare situation”.

In addition, jury member Anton Du Beke is also confronted with a legal investigation into a historic feud with his former celebrity partner Laila Rouass, 53, and what has been called ’70s behavior’.

Meanwhile, The Sun reported this weekend that the announcement of the outcome of the initial investigation had been delayed.

Amanda – who claims Giovanni was “abusive, cruel and mean” during their rehearsal sessions – told Us she was “shocked” when she saw his name appear on the screen during a phone call.

The case was reported to detectives around the time Graziano was fired.

They were close to announcing their findings, but new evidence delayed publication.

An insider told us today: “Giovanni tried to call Amanda a few weeks ago. No one knows why.

“They haven’t spoken since she left the show, so it’s very strange for him to just call, especially while there’s an investigation going on.

“Amanda didn’t want to talk to him and blocked his number. She doesn’t want anything to do with Giovanni.

“She told her team about the incident and they passed the information on to BBC executives who led the investigation. Giovanni has not been heard from since.”

Another source close to the BBC added: “The producers of Strictly want to get rid of this.

“The longer this all goes on, the worse the impact on this year’s 20th anniversary series will be. The Gio investigation is a black cloud hanging over it all.”

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