S Poddar
Strictly Come Dancing’s Laura Whitmore has finally commented on the alleged victim revelations made by the BBC following an investigation against former Strictly pro Giovanni Pernice. The probe uncovered a more intricate situation than what accusations regarding Pernice by Amanda Abbington were touted to initially be. With that said, he was relieved after learning the more severe allegations against him were cleared. He had been a part of the show for nearly a decade. Six out of sixteen complaints lodged against him were upheld, and the majority of the verbal misconduct claims comprised them.
On Sunday night, Pernice penned a post on Instagram saying that the past six or seven months have been difficult for him as he wished to keep quiet and not speak out in public until the investigation is completed. Pernice wanted to keep silence, no matter how heavy a personal toll he had to undergo during that period.
The investigation concluded that Pernice had not been abusive towards Abbington in terms of physical abuse, but some complaints regarding verbal bullying and inappropriate language were valid. BBC apologized to Amanda Abbington where it stated that while not all of her complaints were proved to hold true, some did. This moment is very significant since the network confirmed that the actions of Pernice during the show were proven to breach some standards.
One of the most vocal critics that came forward following the report was Laura Whitmore, a Strictly contestant who danced with Pernice in 2016. Whitmore had spoken publicly before about the ways in which Pernice had acted while they were partners and was one of the individuals who contacted the BBC with their concerns.
She had raised concerns in 2016, and she says most of them were dismissed back then. She calls it “gaslighting” from the BBC today. She later took her findings to Instagram where she reflected on the outcome of the report and shared her feelings, noting, “I hope this helps people realize they should not be subjected to abusive behavior in the workplace.” Whitmore also pointed out that much rode on standing up against such inappropriate behaviors and was relieved that the investigation would finally clarify this issue.
The ex-host of Love Island was equally blunt in admitting that her purpose was not to gain anything out of such an act but rather lighten a worrying trend which, according to her, was disturbing and had created a storm in the media. In fact, she admitted that some of the allegations against Pernice were proved to be true, while others were thrown out, but found some comfort in knowing that the individual involved is no longer employed with the network.
She explained that she was one of many whom the BBC asked to testify in the investigation. She stated that, even though at the time of the incidents she did not lodge a formal complaint, she called for what she described as evidence to go into the process so that more people who experienced this could receive help. Her intention behind this was to establish the fact that Pernice had a trend of evil doings, and she believes this matter needs to be addressed to prevent its recurrence.
Summing up the experience, Whitmore reflected on how irritating the whole thing was that misinformation came out in the media about the investigation itself. Again and again, she stated that victim-blaming was a huge problem which needed to end so that entertainment could find a safer way and more respectful work environment.
She said in candid posts that there was much more big talk to be done about how things like this were handled. She spoke of hoping for meaningful change in handling such matters once the conclusion of this investigation came out.
Meanwhile, as the Strictly Come Dancing investigation continues to hit front pages, so did Giovanni Pernice, who welcomed relief at the fact that the case is finally closed. The result of the report going public, he thanked fans for their love and patience in this trying time for him. Pernice’s statement reflected his readiness to move on and put it well behind him, finally.
Meanwhile, while Amanda Abbington’s allegation is what kicked the entire investigation of Pernice’s activity into gear, her testimony has also been made public. In it, Abbington takes readers through litany after litany of harassment she has endured since the abuse was exposed: threatening communication to her and her family just to name one thing. She laments that she has been called a “liar” and “crazy,” as well as how challenging it has been to deal with all of this in public.
The Strictly Come Dancing scandal has cast in sharp relief the stress and problems of performers who go on beyond the screen. Both Pernice and Abbington have presented their side of the thing, and Whitmore has offered her view. Clearly, the debate over workplace culture in the entertainment industry is far from over. Very serious debates on the management of complaints and how people may be better protected have come about as a result of the incidents that have transpired over the last year.
