Amanda and Giovanni

[CombatLingerie]

Apologies if there is already a thread but I couldn’t find one. What on earth has gone on between Amanda Abbington and Giovanni Pernice during Strictly?AA is apparently taking legal action against the BBC claiming she has PTSD.

Oh for heavens sake. I don't know what happened but I'm afraid this feels like an Amanda problem, not a Strictly problem.

Goodness!

It sounds extreme doesn’t it? I wonder what will come out.

But Ritchie the time before also had issues with Giovanni so it's a Giovanni issue

AA does seem like a PITA in other areas but I agree that Giovanni doesn't get away scot free on this one.

It's not the first time a contestant has complained about Giovanni, in fact I think it's the third who's really hated working with him?

Maybe six of one and half a dozen of the other.

However, he's had many partners who haven't complained about him, got on well with him, and been successful. For example Debbie McGee, Faye from Steps and of course Rose Ayling Ellis, who won the glitter ball.
It's a challenging thing to embark on, and everyone knows how demanding the training is. The rewards in terms of money and exposure are good.
However, if Gio is found to have been in anyway unfair or unpleasant to Amanda, it needs to be dealt with.

I've just read that AA is suing for PTSD.

In what way does she feel like a pita in other areas?

Why would you say that? You've admitted you don't know what happened so why would you blame her?

She's asking for the rehearsals footage (for her legal case) so something obviously was off there.

No doubt it will all come out in the wash. One one them will write a book ...

I believe her.

If you can't take the heat....

What do you mean there? If there was unprofessional behaviour or abusive behaviour in any way, then what - she shouldn't be on Strictly?

Who's complained about him before?

Giovanni seems to get on well with confident, strong-willed, high-energy partners. However others have complained about him before, so I suspect that he is extremely pushy and doesn't know when to give his partner a break and lacks sympathy. I know that Laura Whitmore has said that she felt bullied by him, she had quite a bad ankle injury and even as a viewer it felt as though he was more pissed off by having an injured partner than he was sympathetic.

Who knows that happened, but terms like PTSD should be reserved for a bit more than a possibly rather aggressive dance coach. Watching people die violent deaths, that sort of thing, that's what I think of as PTSD...

Had it been confirmed she is suing anyone? Or is it Daily Mail make a headline up day? Oh wait that's every day!

That doesn't mean your definition is correct.

I don't think it's fair to accuse Giovanni without evidence. Katya is known to be quite demanding and rigorous, for example. When you watch any training footage it does look like hard work.

It is widely reported. Suing because of PTSD.

I have no idea about this because I’ve never watched strictly so I wasn’t familiar with Giovanni, but I just watched something on bbc with Anton and Giovanni (the Sicily show) and without knowing who he was there was something about Giovanni that just made me go cold. Can’t explain it.

Laura Whitmore definitely, and Ritchie from Radio 2. And someone else, I can't remember who now but I'm sure there was another woman who didn't get on with him.

I get the impression he's very, very driven, competitive and strict (and maybe quite rude and shouty too), and he clashes with people who don't appreciate that. Faye Tozer was equally driven so they did well, and Rose was so laid back she didn't care what he said, but was keen to work hard.

Mental health is a weird one isn’t it, because while everyone says that people should be open about their mental health, when they actually are, people don’t believe them and tell them to shush

Laura Whitmore was partnered with him and her comments make interesting and concerning reading.

"Once again, I was a ‘rumoured love interest’," continued Whitmore. "I was placed with a dance partner I was extremely uncomfortable with – and in the end I felt broken. I cried every day.
"And I really was broken, both mentally and physically, by the end. To the outside world I tried to suck it up and smile, and I did that to the best of my ability, but it affected me deeply.
"My friends and family knew that I was struggling. And they were there for me. The media, however, saw me as blonde bait in a sequinned dress.