Giovanni Pernice 'tried to call Amanda Abbington' over probe – but she had brutal response

Amanda Abbington has reportedly blocked Giovanni Pernice's number after the former Strictly Come Dancing star attempted to reach out during their publicised feud.

Sources claim that Amanda, the 50 year old actress famed for her role in Sherlock, was taken aback when she saw 33 year old Giovanni's name flash up on her phone screen. The pair, who were once dance partners on the BBCs hit series Strictly Come Dancing last year, left the competition unexpectedly after just five weeks due to what was initially cited as health reasons.

It later emerged that Amanda lodged a complaint against Giovanni, accusing him of being abusive during their practice sessions - allegations he firmly denies.

Amidst this controversy, Giovanni confirmed that he will not be returning to the Strictly dance floor for the 2024 season, which is set to commence within a fortnight.

While an official investigation into Amandas accusations is still pending, it has been reported that Giovanni's unexpected attempt to contact her could be influencing the delay in proceedings, reports the Mirror.

The Sun on Sunday revealed: "Giovanni tried to call Amanda a few weeks ago. Nobody knows why. They've not spoken since she quit the show, so for him to call out of the blue, especially with an inquiry taking place, is very odd."

"Amanda didn't want to speak to him and blocked his number. She wants nothing to do with Giovanni. She told her team of the incident and they passed on the information to the BBC executives heading up the inquiry. Giovanni hasn't been in touch since."

The revelation that Giovanni attempted to reach out to Amanda emerges just a week after The Mail on Sunday disclosed that the dancer is likely to be absolved by the BBC's probe. An informant confided to the newspaper: "The BBC wanted to exonerate Mr Pernice because nothing that Amanda said could be proven and that he had been very supportive of her."

The narrative hinted that Amanda anticipated her complaint might not succeed. Following her decision to go public with her grievance at the beginning of the year, several past Strictly professionals and celebrity participants have come forward to discuss his contentious rehearsal methods.

Fellow dancer Graziano Di Prima, aged 30, has also been embroiled in controversy, facing allegations of unprofessional behaviour, which he has since apologised for.

He will not be returning to Strictly for the 2024 series. The ongoing scrutiny into Giovanni's conduct looms ominously over the beloved BBC programme, which is set to commemorate its 20th anniversary with the premiere of its 22nd season on Saturday 14 September.

Express.co.uk has sought responses from the representatives of both Giovanni and Amanda.