Amanda Abbington ‘will snub’ Strictly final after surprise show exit amid rumours of feud with Giovanni Pernice
AMANDA Abbington will snub the Strictly Come Dancing final after quitting the show earlier this year.
The actress suddenly walked away from the BBC dance contest and has now reportedly turned her back on the show for good.
It comes amid reports of an ongoing feud between her and her pro partner Giovanni Pernice.
The pair were dogged by rumours of a feud throughout their time on the contest with it being alleged that sour relations were being Amanda‘s departure.
The Mirror reported that BBC bosses were left saddened at her decision as they hoped the pair could put their feud behind them for one final dance during the final.
A source told the publication: “There have understandably been lots of questions asked about Amanda’s sudden departure.
“That has been difficult – especially for Giovanni, who has been upset about people seeing it as a reflection on him.”
Adding of her finale snub, the source added: “They wanted to position her as still very much part of the Strictly family, but Amanda’s response to the invitation was she’d not be back.
“It’s a shame, because her exit has been a sour note to the series this year.”
The Sun were the first to report on cracks forming between the pair near the beginning of the competition.
The pair were claimed to be at loggerheads, with the actress unhappy with the dance pro’s “militant” attitude in training.
Their escalating tension became the talk of the show.
A source said: “Giovanni is a hard taskmaster and takes the competition very, very seriously.
“Sometimes his manner is incredibly brusque and this can upset his partners.
“Amanda was really looking forward to dancing with him, but has found his aggressive training style and attitude pretty difficult to handle.”