Craig Revel Horwood: Strictly abuse claims could be being blown out of proportion
Abuse allegations against Strictly staff could be being blown out of proportion, Craig Revel Horwood has said.
The Strictly judge said he was awaiting the results of an investigation into the row between Amanda Abbington and Giovanni Pernice, which may reveal accusations to have been “blown out of proportion”.
Abbington has accused former dance partner Pernice of abusive behaviour, which he has resolutely denied. Both parties are awaiting the findings of a BBC inquiry into the claims.
Pernice’s lawyers had hoped for a swift resolution in early August but Abbington submitted a tranche of text messages as fresh evidence and the inquiry is continuing.
Speaking to the Times, Revel Horwood said: “I can’t wait for the investigation because it could be all blown out of proportion or it could be… anything.
“But we want the results sooner rather than later. It’s not just the BBC, though, is it?
“The BBC is in the public eye because of its public funding. ITV has the same issues.”
Not drawn on specifics
Revel Horwood has so far gone the furthest of the Strictly judges in addressing the allegations. Most of his colleagues have not been drawn on the specifics of the scandal. Shirley Ballas only commented that she had known Pernice for many years as a friend, making clear that the dancer had been “very good” to her, when asked about the scandal.
In the wake of the accusations against Pernice, the BBC made plans to use chaperones on Strictly to ensure all behaviour is monitored.
His former Strictly colleague, Graziano Di Prima, was dropped by the programme following claims that he hit and spat at the TV presenter Zara McDermott when she appeared with him on the show. Di Prima said in response that he was “not a monster” and “not an abusive man”.
Revel Horwood has expressed his shock that any abuse could take place in training given the way in which Strictly is produced.
He said: “At every rehearsal there is lighting and sound, a crew member, as well as the pro, celeb and a choreographer, so there’s a lot of people in those rooms. And they have windows too.”
‘It was mean. It was nasty’
Abbington has described the treatment she allegedly received, telling Lorraine Kelly in July: “It was inappropriate; it was mean, it was nasty, it was bullying. I put up with it for five weeks, six weeks.
“It started early on and when it started to happen, I would shut down because I would recognise those red flags.”
Pernice has denied any wrongdoing and has vowed to clear his name.
A war of words has continued while both sides await the conclusion of the BBC’s review, and another former Strictly partner of Pernice, Laura Whitmore, has made her own criticisms of the dancer.
The 39-year-old TV presenter posted a string of messages on Instagram in July stating that she had warned the BBC about alleged behaviour but was “gaslit” into believing that the alleged behaviour was normal.
Gaslighting, according to the Cambridge Dictionary, is the action of tricking or controlling someone by making them believe things that are not true.
Despite the row over alleged behaviour behind the scenes on Strictly, Revel Horwood said it would be “ridiculous” to cancel such a popular programme.
