Amanda Abbington left frazzled after tough training with Strictly pro Giovanni
Amanda Abbington was reportedly left "frazzled and fragile" after her training sessions for Strictly Come Dancing.
The Sherlock actress, 49, dramatically decided to walk from the BBC dancing competition on Friday night (October 20). A statement released by the BBC at the time wished Amanda well in her future endeavours.
But before deciding to quit the show, Abbington was reportedly left "frazzled and fragile" after tiring and intense training sessions with her professional partner Giovanni Pernice. Insiders close to the actress said they "weren't surprised" to learn that the mum-of-two opted to leave the dancing show behind.
READ MORE: BBC Strictly's Giovanni Pernice looks glum as he's seen for first time since Amanda Abbington exit
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According to the sources, Amanda "didn't know what she'd let herself in for" before going ahead with her participation. Things were not helped when she "didn't gel" with pro Giovanni.
The actress did not mention Giovanni in her statement breaking her silence on quitting the show on Instagram on Tuesday morning (October 24). Instead of thanking the Italian stallion, Abbington gave credit to the staff behind the scenes of the hit programme that has been running since 2004.
In the statement, Amanda gave her kudos to "everyone on Strictly who looked after me and who are so kind and caring". Giovanni did not respond to the statement, but fellow professional Gorka Márquez showed his love for Amanda, commenting: "We will miss you!" Jowita Przystal also gave her sympathies, typing: "Take care darling we will miss you! Sending lots of love."
A feud between Amanda and Giovanni has been hinted to, according to insiders on the show. The source told The Telegraph of the couple: "From the very beginning they weren't gelling. Obviously they were putting a brave face on it, but the issue was clearly not being solved."
The source described Giovanni's training as "tough", which Amanda had found difficult to adjust to. Things were worsened if she would turn up to training feeling ill or stressed, as it would make the sessions harder for her.
Giovanni has been a mainstay on the Strictly cast since 2015. Paired with the likes of Laura Whitmore and Michelle Visage, Pernice came out on top in 2021, lifting the glitterball trophy together with celebrity partner Rose Ayling-Ellis.
Giving his own take on the situation on Instagram, he offered his sympathies to Amanda. Uploading a snap of the duo behind the scenes during Movie Week, he captioned the post: "Amanda… I am so sad we can’t continue but I am proud of what we achieved and I am sending you so much love."
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