Has the real reason Amanda Abbington quit Strictly been revealed, amid claims that she had a “feud” with Giovanni Pernice?
It was announced that Amanda had quit the show yesterday (Monday, October 23) – and she has since spoken out.
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Amanda Abbington quits Strictly and speaks out
It was announced yesterday that Amanda had quit Strictly, bringing her time on the show to an early end.
In a statement, the BBC said: “Amanda Abbington is unable to continue in Strictly Come Dancing and has decided to withdraw from the competition. The show wishes her all the best for the future.”
Amanda has since spoken out with a statement – however, she failed to mention Giovanni at all in it, further fuelling “feud” rumours.
“It is with deepest regret that I had to leave Strictly. I did not come to this decision easily or lightly but for personal reasons I am unable to continue,” she wrote on Instagram.
“I’m so sad that I am unable to go any further. Thank you to everyone who voted and who sent wonderful messages and inspiring support. You are all amazing. Truly. Thank you,” she later added.
No signs of a feud between Giovanni and Amanda?
However, delivering an in-depth look at their relationship, body language expert Darren Stanton has now debunked the feud rumours. He exclusively told ED! there were no signs of “animosity” between the duo prior to their exit from the show.
Speaking on behalf of Spin Genie, he told ED: “I get the impression Amanda is a bit of a perfectionist, and Giovanni is a very talented dancer, so I see why they were partnered up together. They both wanted to be the best of the best.
“I can see how incredibly tight they were in terms of their connection, there was no animosity on the dance floor. It’s clear they shared a similar sense of humour,” he then said.
“When Giovanni and Amanda were interviewed on It Takes Two, they sat together closely and regularly touched each other as signs of affection. I got the impression they were incredibly comfortable being with each other and in such close proximity,” he then continued.
Darren even pointed out how “in sync” the duo were, to the point that they were even finishing each other’s sentences. “That is one very clear signal of telling you how deep the connection is.”
Real reason why Amanda Abbington quit Strictly?
Darren then went on to say that were no signs of “awkwardness” between them. “You can’t see any signals of inauthenticity, awkwardness or distancing themselves from each other either. They come across as very genuine and happy to be in each other’s company on and off the dance floor,” he said.
” Every time they were smiling or having banter with each other, it was all real and completely genuine. From looking at them together from the very beginning to their last time together, I can’t fault their relationship – they just get on and what you see is what you get,” he added.
However, one insider alleged earlier today that the duo were feuding, speculating that they “weren’t gelling” and offering this as a potential reason behind her decision to quit the show. “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,” they alleged to The Telegraph.
“He was quite tough and she found that difficult. If she wasn’t very well, that wouldn’t have helped. She was with a partner that had a certain training style that she couldn’t cope with. Whether that came to a head or whether there’s something else going on I don’t know,” the source then speculated.
It was reported last month that the pair had been feuding. However, they hit back at those rumours at the time.
ED! has contacted the BBC, as well as Giovanni and Amanda’s reps for comment.
Read more: Amanda Abbington’s fiancé breaks his silence about her Strictly exit following that cryptic post
Strictly continues on Saturday, October 28 at 6.40pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
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