Amanda Abbington was seen for the first time since she was forced to call the police over terrifying death threats she had received from cruel trolls.
The BBC launched an investigation after Amanda’s Strictly dance partner Giovanni Pernice, 33, was accused of ‘threatening and abusive behaviour’ while working with celebrity contestants on the show , including the actress, 50, Ranvir Singh and Laura Whitmore.
The Sherlock star cut a casual figure as she stepped out in north London on Thursday.
Amanda dressed for the hot weather in a white T-shirt, black trousers and trainers.
The actress deleted her social media accounts, just hours after it was confirmed the professional dancer would not be returning to the series amid the alleged workplace ‘misconduct’.
Amanda Abbington was seen for the first time since she was forced to call the police over terrifying death threats she had received from cruel trolls
The Sherlock star cut a casual figure as she stepped out in north London on Thursday
Last month, it was confirmed three women, including Amanda Abbington (pictured), had hired £700-an-hour lawyers at leading London law firm Carter Ruck to pursue claims
According to reports, Amanda had already been bombarded by ‘unspeakable and incredibly threatening’ messages from troll fans of Giovanni.
A source told The Sun: ‘She has been worried about leaving the house to do simple errands like walking the dog or picking up groceries.’
They continued: ‘At one point she was struggling to field the hundreds of messages from Giovanni supporters saying nasty things and threatening her safety.
‘It was awful to cope with. The sheer volume was horrendous and the content was unspeakable and incredibly threatening. The police have taken the messages seriously.’
MailOnline has contacted Amanda Abbington’s representative for comment.
Professional dancers who will appear next season were announced on June 10 – with Giovanni’s name absent amid a probe into alleged workplace ‘misconduct’.
The BBC launched an investigation after the dancer was accused of ‘threatening and abusive behaviour’ while working with celebrity contestants on the show.
Amanda dressed for the hot weather in a white T-shirt, black trousers and trainers
Amanda deleted her social media accounts, just hours after it was confirmed the professional dancer would not be returning to the series amid the alleged workplace ‘misconduct’
Amanda cut a sporty figure in her low-key look
Sources say the police are taking the death threats seriously after Amanda was left shaken by the influx of nasty messages
Giovanni is accused of ‘threatening and abusive behaviour’ while working with celebrity contestants on the show (pictured with Laura Whitmore in 2016)
Giovanni launched a fightback by hiring rival law firm Schillings. His case is being handled by Joelle Rich, 39, who represented Johnny Depp in his libel trial(pictured with Ranvir in 2020)
It has also been claimed a professional dancer needed three months of therapy after starring on the show alongside Giovanni.
Giovanni launched a fightback by hiring rival law firm Schillings. His case is being handled by Joelle Rich, 39, who represented Johnny Depp in his libel trial in 2020.
A spokesman for Giovanni told the publication: ‘Schillings is engaging with BBC Studios to provide it with Giovanni’s evidence to strongly rebut the claims being made about him and confirm Giovanni is fully cooperating.
‘As with any reality TV show, when decisions are being made for entertainment reasons, the producers have a duty of care to all participants.’
Giovanni also shared a post to Instagram detailing that he was ‘totally surprised’ by the allegations, which he denies.
He said in a statement: ‘You will be as surprised as I am that allegations have been made about my dance teaching methods in the media this week.
‘Of course, I reject any suggestion of abusive or threatening behaviour, and I look forward to clearing my name.
‘Those who have followed my journey on Strictly Come Dancing over the last decade will know that I am passionate and competitive. No-one is more ambitious for my dance partners than me.
‘I have always striven to help them be the very best dancers they can be. This has always come from a place of love and wanting to win – for me and my dance partners.
‘Thank you all once again for your continued love and support!’
