# Strictly Come Dancing bullying allegations and settlement > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/strictly-come-dancing-bullying-allegations-and-settlement > Updated: 2026-08-22T09:34:27.000Z. Sources: 6. Developments: 2. The controversy began following allegations by actress Amanda Abbington regarding a “toxic environment” created by professional dancer Giovanni Pernice during the 2023 series of Strictly Come Dancing. An internal BBC review upheld complaints regarding Pernice’s conduct, describing his language as “belittling, dismissive, and insulting,” though it found no evidence of physical aggression. Abbington, who was later diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), reached an out-of-court settlement with BBC Studios. The five-figure sum, which included legal fee contributions, was provided by BBC Studios rather than the license fee. In response to the investigation, the BBC introduced new welfare measures, such as chaperones during rehearsals. In subsequent developments, Pernice released a book, ‘Gio: My Story’, in which he accused the BBC of failing to provide adequate psychological safeguards or assessments for contestants. He defended his rehearsal methods as a rigorous approach similar to a personal trainer and noted that the allegations had severely impacted his own mental health. ## Timeline ### 2026-08-22: Giovanni Pernice accuses BBC of failing to safeguard Strictly stars Giovanni Pernice has accused the BBC of failing to safeguard Strictly Come Dancing contestants following bullying allegations made by former partner Amanda Abbington. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/giovanni-pernice-accuses-bbc-of-failing-to-safeguard-strictly-stars ### 2026-08-15: Amanda Abbington reaches settlement with BBC over Strictly allegations Actress Amanda Abbington has secured a five-figure settlement from BBC Studios following bullying allegations against professional dancer Giovanni Pernice during Strictly Come Dancing. 4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/amanda-abbington-reaches-settlement-with-bbc-over-strictly-allegations --- Cite as: Strictly Come Dancing bullying allegations and settlement. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/strictly-come-dancing-bullying-allegations-and-settlement