It is the scandal that threatens to mean the end of Saturday night favourite Strictly Come Dancing.
And now, ahead of the BBC’s verdict on whether dancer Giovanni Pernice bullied his partner Amanda Abbington on the show, the Sicilian star is convinced he has evidence to prove he is not the “cruel, violent and mean” man the actress portrays him as.
Today The Mail on Sunday can reveal exactly what that evidence is – and, surprisingly, it comes from Ms Abbington, not him.
The 33-year-old has provided detectives with a 28-minute audio recording of him and Ms Abbington talking, which his team say proves he was not bullying her, but was in fact very supportive.
We can also reveal that Mr Pernice has handed the inquiry a dossier of screenshots of WhatsApp messages between him and Ms Abbington, 50, in which she raves about how helpful he has been, how nice she thinks of him and apologises to him. This newspaper can also reveal that:
Amanda Abbington and Giovanni Pernice perform on Strictly Come Dancing on BBC1
Mrs Abbington is apparently having trouble with the rehearsals at the dance competition
In the audio clip, Mrs Abbington tells Mr Pernice that if she were him she would have ‘thrown myself out of the window long ago’, clearly acknowledging that she can be difficult.
The Sherlock actress also admits to “sabotaging” herself, repeatedly mentions how supportive he is of her and describes herself as a “nightmare.”
The actress wipes away a tear during an interview on Channel 4 News earlier this week
The Strictly partners show off their moves on the dance floor during the series
Pernice kisses Miss Abbington on the forehead during rehearsals for the dance competition
The couple danced together from August to October last year, when she quit the series after six weeks for medical reasons.
Sources close to the situation say Mr Pernice expects to be cleared after the three-month investigation, with the BBC releasing its findings to both sides tomorrow. The corporation is also expected to release a ‘not guilty’ statement.
A Strictly insider told The Mail on Sunday: ‘The truth is Giovanni spent a lot of time trying to calm Amanda down.
‘He noticed that he often had her emotions under control. She was vulnerable, but he wanted to do the very best for her and teach her to dance.
‘She described herself as a nightmare, Giovanni was kind and tried to calm her down and make her feel better about herself.
She said he supported her, that he would talk her out of her problems.
“Although Gio wouldn’t say it was easy for him to do this, he did it. He saw it as his duty. He was the professional dancer and his job was to take care of her and teach her how to dance.
‘This is the core of why Giovanni is angry that all this happened. He tried to be very supportive of her.
“And as far as he’s concerned, he can prove it. He has evidence and he hopes it will clear his name.”
It can also be revealed that at one point Mrs Abbington told Mr Pernice she had a medical problem and he quickly helped her.
A friend of the dancer said: ‘Gio was concerned and wanted to help her. Again, he has that proof.’
Account has also been taken of Mrs Abbington’s earlier argument that she and Mr Pernice got on well together.
In particular, a video she posted on Instagram to debunk rumors that the two had split is said to be “particularly interesting.”
Ms Abbington is adamant that she has experienced ‘unacceptable bullying’.
The investigation has been frustrating for the BBC, particularly as Ms Abbington spoke out several times before the inquiry was completed.
We can also reveal that Mr Pernice’s former dance partners were invited by the BBC to give testimonies about their own experiences with him. Those interviewed included Ms Whitmore, Mr Anderson, Ms McGee, Good Morning Britain presenter Ranvir Singh and deaf actress Rose Ayling-Ellis. Many agreed to be interviewed.
A friend of Mrs McGee – who joined Strictly just six months after her husband’s death – said: ‘Debbie has supported Gio from day one. She was invited by the BBC to ask if she wanted to join and she jumped at the chance.
“She wanted to be there for him when he needed her most, just as he was there for her.”
Others also spoke to investigators, according to BBC insiders. One said: ‘There were a few who you wouldn’t have expected to give Gio a positive report, but they did.’
Meanwhile, members of the Strictly crew were also interviewed. It is reported that no one reported having witnessed or witnessed Mr Pernice behaving badly.
The scandal broke earlier this year after Ms Abbington told The Sun she had suffered PTSD as a result of her appearance on Strictly, and reportedly asked to see rehearsal footage so she could pass it on to her lawyers.
The BBC refused her request. In April, it launched an investigation into her claims. Last week, the actress claimed in an interview on Channel 4 News that an incident of a “sexually degrading nature” had occurred on the show and revealed that she had received dozens of death and rape threats a day after complaining to the BBC that Mr Pernice had bullied her.
Amanda Abbington and Giovanni Pernice on last year’s Strictly Come Dancing
Mr Pernice’s spokesman said he was not aware of the sexual allegations until his lawyers at Schillings were granted the right to respond, just hours before the interview aired on Wednesday. He strongly denies the claims.
Earlier, Ms Abbington claimed that Mr Pernice had stepped on her foot, causing her to bruise her toe. She did not provide further details.
Last Sunday she told The Sun: ‘I found Giovanni’s behaviour unnecessary, insulting, cruel and mean. I couldn’t sit back and let him do that to other people.’ Again, she gave no details.
During her interview with Channel 4 News, Ms Abbington said she wanted compensation for the loss of earnings as a result of her appearance on Strictly and her bullying allegations.
But the BBC could also face possible action from Mr Pernice, who is unhappy about being paired with Ms Abbington without TV executives conducting psychological tests on her.
“Gio feels like he has failed in his duty of care,” said a friend of the star.
Yesterday a spokesman for Mrs Abbington said: ‘These details change nothing: as Amanda has repeatedly stated, she has done her best to make things work.
‘This involved being open with Giovanni about her shortcomings as a dancer and realizing that this must have been difficult for him.
“That these comments are now being presented as an excuse for the bullying Amanda experienced is as unacceptable as the behavior itself.”