Post-punk star Toyah Willcox has reflected on her time competing in Strictly Come Dancing in 2024, as she revealed how she has contemplated whether her support for 2023 contestant Amanda Abbington might have "gone against her".
Over the years Strictly Come Dancing has raked in millions of viewers, as fans watch celebrities honing their dancing skills while competing to impress the panel of judges, in a bid to make it all the way to the final and win the Glitterball trophy.
But, in recent years, the show became shrouded in controversy after Amanda Abbington made claims about the conduct of her dance partner, Giovanni Pernice, on the BBC show.
After leaving the show for "personal reasons" in the fifth week of the competition, in an interview with Krishnan Guru-Murthy on Channel 4 last year, she gave an insight into her allegations against Pernice: "It's bullying and it's aggressive behaviour.
"There were other things that happened that were very upsetting, that you manage in the room at the time, because you're a woman, and you have to manage those things. Because otherwise, what do you do?"
But, in a recent interview on the Spooning With Mark Wogan podcast, fellow Strictly star Toyah, who was voted out of the series early on after finding herself in the first two dance-offs, opened up about being so outspoken in her support for Amanda, as the BBC investigated the actress' complaint.
She told Mark: "When I did Strictly, I was very vocal about my support for Amanda and that she needed to be seen.
"And I don't know if that went against me when I was on the show. But you can't whitewash and put things like that behind you."
Explaining her reasons for coming out in support of the former Strictly contestant, she added: "And they need to be addressed and the world keeps on moving. So I'm really part of the world keeps on moving movement. But I just make sure what I see is not history repeating itself.”
After an investigation into the incident was carried out, allegations of verbal bullying and harassment were upheld, while Amanda's claims of physical aggression were not. In a statement afterwards, the BBC issued an apology to Amanda, saying: "We have assessed the complaints and we have upheld some, but not all, of the complaints made.
"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."
Giovanni left Strictly in the wake of Amanda's complaint, but shared his relief that the more serious accusations were dismissed. Meanwhile Amanda saw the BBC's response as a "vindication" of her complaint
The BBC declined to comment on Toyah's claims when contacted by The Mirror.
