Major update in BBC Strictly Come Dancing bullying probe and Amanda Abbington 'means business'

A major update has been issued in the BBC Strictly Come Dancing probe row as Amanda Abbington sets a date for a showdown with BBC bosses. Abbington will meet BBC bosses today (Monday October 28) to discuss their handling of the Strictly Come Dancing probe.

The BBC Sherlock actress is said to be demanding answers for “unanswered questions” she has about the investigation. A source said: “Amanda is going into a meeting with the BBC tomorrow and she means business. There are a lot of questions she wants answered before she takes her next steps.

“Amanda had a terrible time on Strictly and while she is grateful to the BBC for apologising to her, there is a lot of ground she wants to go over. She knows the meeting will be dredging up over a lot of old ground which she finds incredibly traumatic.

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“But Amanda is determined to get the answers she needs.” Giovanni Pernice has said he's a "strict teacher" but not a bully, after the end of a BBC investigation into allegations about his behaviour during last season's rehearsal process.

Actress Amanda, his dance partner last year, has described his behaviour in the training room as "inappropriate, it was mean, it was nasty, it was bullying". After an internal investigation, the BBC apologised to Abbington earlier this month after upholding some of her complaints against him, but clearing him of the most serious allegations.

"Bully is a big word and there's a difference between being a bully and caring about what you do," Gio told ITV's Lorraine on Tuesday. He told Lorraine's guest host Christine Lampard: "I'm glad that the 11 allegations have been thrown out.

"At the beginning there were very serious allegations, for instance threatening her or abusing her, and all of this has been taken out."