Amanda Abbington says she was relieved about cancer scare amid Strictly Come Dancing rehearsal drama

‘It was the catalyst I’d been sort of waiting for, which is terrible,’ said the actor

Amanda Abbington has said she was relieved about her cancer scare because it meant that she could quit Strictly Come Dancing.

The Sherlock star, 50, pulled out of the BBC One show last year, citing medical reasons at the time.

In the months since, she has filed complaints of verbal bullying and harassment against her professional dance partner Giovanni Pernice during her time on the show. He has denied any wrongdoing.

In a new interview with The Sun, Abbington recalled how she found two lumps in her breast during her “final week” on Strictly before she quit.

The actor said that although she’d received an “all-clear” after a mammogram a few months before, she could not concentrate during rehearsals.

Abbington said that she told Pernice: “I’m going to go to the hospital now because I found two lumps in my breast this morning,” to which he allegedly replied: “Let me know how it goes.” She said that the moment gave her an excuse to leave Strictly.

“It was the catalyst I’d been sort of waiting for, which is terrible,” she said. “But that’s what I was thinking, that it was a healthier option than being in that room.”

(Instagram / BBC)

Abbington said that there was a part of her that thought: “OK, I have to deal with this now instead. Phew.” The lumps she discovered were benign.

A spokesperson for Pernice told The Independent: “The BBC concluded its review almost a week ago. It is deeply concerning that Ms Abbington appears hellbent on continuously misrepresenting the review’s findings in TV and newspaper interviews.

“Giovanni is focusing on his job on [Italian dance show] Ballando con le Stelle and supporting his partner, Bianca. He hopes that Ms Abbington can soon accept the review’s findings and look to the future.”

The result of the BBC’s months-long investigation into Pernice’s conduct was announced earlier this week.

Some complaints made by Abbington have been upheld, but the Italian dancer has been cleared of the more serious allegations levied against him.

Her complaints of verbal bullying and harassment have been acknowledged, while the findings concluded that Pernice was not physically aggressive to his celebrity partner.

Giovanni Pernice and Amanda Abbington, who were paired together on Strictly Come Dancing in 2023 (Ray Burniston/BBC) (PA Media)

The BBC issued an apology to Abbington, thanking her for “coming forward and taking part”.

The actor said she felt “vindicated” by the findings of the report and that the BBC’s apology “meant a lot”, while a spokesperson for Pernice said he was “pleased” that the report “has not found any evidence of threatening or abusive behaviour”.