Inside Amanda Abbington's 'Strictly summit' where past stars gathered to slam Giovanni

Actress Amanda Abbington was left in tears when she met up with past Strictly Come Dancing stars, who had also danced with Giovanni Pernice.

Following the verdict of the BBC's internal investigation into allegations about her dance partner's behaviour, Amanda gave another bombshell interview. The Sherlock actress claimed she "wouldn't be sitting here now" had the BBC done more after they apologised to her earlier this week.

Read more on Amanda Abbington's bombshell interview and the run-up to movie week with our Strictly live blog

The broadcaster acknowledged six of the 17 issues she brought forward during her time on the dance floor with Giovanni. Amanda made an appearance on Newsnight where she made further claims against the professional dancer, who has quit the show. She also revealed she had met with other stars who had raised issues about Giovanni.

Amanda and several of his former partners decided to meet where they spent the evening crying with one another. "We just wanted to make sure we weren't on our own thinking this had only happened to us because we all have said the same thing," she said. "It wasn't pleasant, it wasn't what the others were going through in other rooms. We wanted to connect with each other."

When asked by host Victoria Derbyshire on how the meeting went, Amanda explained that the group "cried and burst into tears." The actress added: "We all said the same thing, it was managing a room and having to look after our own mental and physical well-being within that room."

READ MORE: Abbott Lyon launches 'extra special' advent calendar packed with jewellery bestsellers

While it remains unclear as to who attended, former Love Island presenter Laura Whitmore has been vocal about her time with Giovanni on the show in 2016. Back in August, she accused the BBC of 'gaslighting' her over her experience with the Italian dancer. Taking to her Instagram stories after the probe verdict, Laura wrote: "'I hope this helps people realise they should not be subjected to abusive behaviour in the workplace.

"Things can be twisted online and there's so much more to this but in black and white there were complaints upheld and an apology made. And the perpetrator no longer works for the channel." Laura was one of the first celebrities to publicly show support for Amanda after she made her initial complaint. In a lengthy statement, she said she had initially raised concerns in 2016 and believed that her experience was "specific" to her. "I've since learned I was wrong," Laura said.

She added: "Things can be twisted online and there's so much more to this but in black and white there were complaints upheld and an apology made. And the perpetrator no longer works for the channel."

In response to Amanda's interview, a spokesperson for Giovanni said: "It's disappointing that Ms Abbington would knowingly mislead the outcome of the report in order to further attempt to damage Giovanni's reputation. While Ms Abbington may not like the outcome of the six-month investigation, she should not seek to spread false and defamatory claims." Pernice has always denied the allegations against him.

Following the publication of the BBC report, the corporation asserted: "Strictly Come Dancing is a family show and we rightly expect very high standards. While competition can be tough, rigorous and demanding, we want the show to ultimately be a joyous and transformative experience. It is a great shame if this hasn't been the case for everyone who has appeared on the show. We have assessed the complaints and we have upheld some, but not all. We want to apologise to Amanda Abbington and to thank her for coming forward and taking part. We know this would not have been an easy thing to do."

Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Threads.