Nineties sitcom legend reveals he turned DOWN Strictly before Amanda Abbington after warning from show bosses
NINETIES sitcom legend James Dreyfus has revealed that he turned DOWN a place on Strictly Come Dancing before Amanda Abbington after a warning from the show bosses.
The BBC programme has been under fire in recent months since two of their professional dancers, Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima, were axed for abuse allegations.
Giovanni was sacked back in May after the Beeb launched an internal investigation, following complaints from his former dance partner Amanda, 50.
The actress claimed that she has been left with post-traumatic stress disorder after being partnered up with the Italian dancer and demanded footage of her rehearsals.
Last night Amanda spoke out in her first TV interview about the scandal, revealing SIX Strictly stars had complained before her.
James, who is best known for roles in The Thin Blue Line and Gimme Gimme Gimme, retweeted a clip from the chat with Channel 4 with a lengthy caption.
He said: “I was asked to do Strictly last year. I spoke with producers at an initial Zoom meeting.
“I told them about my opinions, my support for women’s rights, & warned them that I’d be a “controversial choice”, so I wanted to know if they’d have my back, should I receive an online backlash.
“They said yes. And, to be honest, I believed them, as they seemed understanding & sincere. Ultimately, I decided it wasn’t for me.”
When he found out that Amanda was part of the line-up, he wanted to make sure she had support.
He continued: “The next thing I heard was that Amanda had been signed.
“So I wrote to the producers I’d spoken with, pleading with them to make sure they had HER back, as she’d previously had terrible abuse here on ‘X’.
“I asked them to take care of her, as she’d recently had pile on after pile on for speaking her mind & had since left ‘X’.
“I heard nothing back. And why would I? I was nothing to do with the programme any longer & I assumed my email had been read & its contents noted.”
The actor then touched upon Amanda’s time on the show, ending it with how he is in “solidarity” with her – and that he “has her back”.
James continued: “To see her distress here, to hear what happened, & to witness the effect of this ongoing, eternally vitriolic & downright cruel online mob is just horrendous &, tragically only too familiar to many who simply ask the ‘wrong question’ at the ‘wrong time’ of the ‘wrong people’.
Giovanni Pernice Strictly scandal timeline
October 2023: Amanda abruptly withdraws from Strictly having already missed one live show. Her departure is announced in a vague BBC statement that ‘wishes her the best’.
Giovanni posts a short message on social media addressing the exit, which read: “Amanda… I am so sad we can’t continue but I am proud of what we achieved and I am sending you so much love.”
Amanda then shares her own farewell statement on Instagram thanking co-stars but failing to mention Gio.
Giovanni’s dad Piero insists there were no signs of a fall out and the pairing could have gone all the way. He praised his son as kind and polite.
November 2023: Giovanni is reportedly gutted by the situation and is considering his Strictly future as questions are raised about his conduct.
January 2024: Amanda’s PTSD diagnosis comes to light and she demands CCTV from rehearsals to prove that Giovanni’s training methods weren’t acceptable.
The BBC issues a statement defending its duty of care to contestants, insisting it takes any claims of wrongdoing very seriously.
The Corporation stands by its man after emergency meeting
March 2024: Giovanni publicly states he has no intention of leaving Strictly in a TV interview with close pal Anton du Beke.
Ranvir Singh and Laura Whitmore enter the picture. Allegedly the two celebs, who were both previously partnered with Giovanni on Strictly, didn’t feel the BBC took their issues with his methods seriously enough.
The pair have a closed meeting with Amanda where tears are said to be shed.
May 2024: We reveal Giovanni is leaving the programme after having talks with show bosses
He leaves the country with girlfriend Molly Brown on holiday
The BBC launches an internal investigation after three complainants instruct lawyers. A source describes it as a “nightmare situation”.
“When are people going to finally wake up & say ‘enough really is enough’ & make immediate & definitive decisions to stamp this out?
“It’s utterly galling to see government, institutions, charities, the media & lobby groups dismissing women’s concerns over ANY subject pertinent to THEM?
“Why are women’s needs STILL on the bottom rung of the ladder??
“Crimes against women are skyrocketing & women rights are being rolled back day by day, & yet, when they speak up, & out, they are demonised & used as punching bags for an ever- increasingly aggressive movement, brimming with misogyny & entitlement.
“Solidarity with you, Amanda Abbington.
“That you’ve been let down & abused in this way is unconscionable.
“Please know there’s an ARMY of people here, who will always have your back.”
Sherlock star Amanda and Giovanni appeared on the 21st series of the BBC show in 2023.
Just weeks in the actress quit the competition after a rumoured feud between the pair.
Strictly's Full Scandal So Far
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.
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: 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.”
Then in January Amanda’s PTSD diagnosis was brought to light and Giovanni denied all allegations.
Allegedly two more of Gio’s former partners, Laura Whitmore and Ranvir Singh came forward to share their experience.
Last night, while speaking to Channel 4 news, Amanda has revealed six other stars made complaints to bosses before her.
She told Krishnan Guru-Murthy, who appeared on the series alongside her last year: “I know a lot of people went in to speak to them. I’m the official complainer.
“I think there’s about five or six (other complainants) from what I can gather, but there’s three main people, who’ve made complaints, mine’s the official one.”
Amanda also told Channel 4 how she has faced “rape threats to myself and my daughter and threats of death to my son” after going public with her complaint.
She added: “It’s been brutal and relentless and unforgiving.
“Well the aftermath has been something that I wasn’t expecting you know, death threats and rape threats not only to myself but to my daughter.”
A BBC spokesperson said: “Anyone involved in a complaint has a right to confidentiality and fair process and therefore it would be inappropriate to comment further on individuals. However, when issues are raised with us we always take them extremely seriously and have appropriate processes in place to manage this. As we have said before, we would urge people not to indulge in speculation.
“More generally, the BBC and BBC Studios takes duty of care extremely seriously. Our processes on Strictly Come Dancing are updated every year, they are kept under constant review and last week we announced additional steps to further strengthen welfare and support on the show.“
In a statement Giovanni Pernice’s spokesperson said: “We are cooperating fully with the BBC’s review process. All parties have been asked to respect this process and to not speak to the media before it concludes. We will continue to respect the integrity of the investigation and believe it is the right forum for all the evidence to be reviewed.
“As part of the evidence-led review, the BBC has shared the allegations they have been able to substantiate with us. They do not resemble Amanda’s latest allegations, given to Channel 4, in any shape or form. Giovanni refutes any claim of threatening or abusive behaviour, and having provided the BBC with his evidence, is confident that the review will prove this.”
Last week, fans were shocked when it was revealed that professional Graziano had been fired after bosses were shown shocking footage from rehearsals with his former partner Zara McDermot, 27.
He was axed by the BBC following claims he hit, spat at and kicked her during rehearsals.
Graziano Di Prima - Strictly statement in FULL
GRAZIANO Di Prima has addressed his Strictly Come Dancing sacking with a statement on social media - see the details below.
In a statement shared to his Instagram page Graziano wrote: “I deeply regret the events that led to my departure from Strictly. My intense passion and determination to win might have affected my training regime.
“Respecting the BBC HR process, I understand it’s best for the show that I step away.”
He continued: “While there are aspects of this story involving external influences that I can’t discuss at this time, I remain committed to being strong for my family and friends.
“I wish the Strictly family and the BBC nothing but success in the future.”
He concluded the post: “I also want to thank everyone who has supported my career, both professionally and personally. When the time is right, I will share my story.”