Amanda Abbington’s boyfriend Jonathan Goodwin praises star as they celebrate three years together amid Strictly scandal
AMANDA Abbington’s boyfriend Jonathan Goodwin has shared a sweet post celebrating their relationship.
The couple have been together for three years, and in order to mark the occasion, Jonathan shared a photo from their time together.
In the picture, Amanda is seen laughing as she cuddles into his chest, while Jonathan holds the camera.
Both are wearing sunglasses and dark clothing, beaming as they posed for the snap.
Posting the pic on Instagram Stories, Jonathan wrote next to the pic: “Nearly three years since I met my person… forever grateful.”
Jonathan has been a steadfast source of support for Amanda, jumping to her defence in the aftermath of her time on Strictly and ongoing fight against the behaviour of her pro partner, Giovanni Pernice.
He has also stood up against online trolls who targeted the actress after she came forward with an official complaint to the BBC.
Amanda began dating Britain’s Got Talent daredevil Jonathan five years after her “painful” split from Martin Freeman.
Amanda was married to her Sherlock co-star Martin – with whom she shares children Joe, 18, and Grace 16 – for 16 years before their shock break-up in 2016.
After knowing each other for a few years, Amanda and Jonathan got together in 2021 after talking online.
They met for their first date in Vienna, where Amanda was filming, and Jonathan proposed within 30 minutes of their first hug.
Just a few weeks later, Jonathan’s life changed forever when, while filming America’s Got Talent: Extreme that October, one of his stunts went horrifically wrong.
During rehearsals, while trying to escape from a straitjacket suspended upside down 30ft in the air, he was crushed between two suspended burning cars before falling to the ground, landing on his head.
He needed emergency surgery and sustained third-degree burns, internal organ injuries, fractures to his ribs, legs and shoulders and lost his left kidney.
He was left paralysed by the incident.
Amanda remained firmly by his side, with the experience bringing them even closer.
The couple later moved to Hertfordshire together, and have continued to see their relationship grow.
In 2023, when Amanda joined Strictly, Jonathan was her biggest supporter – and when she quit, became Giovanni’s biggest critic with thinly-veiled swipes over his alleged behaviour online.
Last week, after Amanda came forward with a bombshell interview with Krishnan Guru-Murthy to discuss the official complaint against Giovanni, and the “disastrously unworkable” circumstances she found herself him.
After Giovanni reportedly declared Amanda a “mad woman” on stage and released a statement dismissing her claims, Jonathan spoke out in her defence.
He told the Mail: “If you watch the dances she did, tell me that’s a person that’s not putting in 100 per cent effort. So it’s not about that.
“What happened is she left a game show because she didn’t like the way she was being treated and that’s it. That’s what she did.
“How she was treated – and she’s said this herself – was not great in ways that I can’t go into. But it’s not about strict or militant training.”
