Amanda Abbington gets to work on set with Emma Thompson in first major TV role since Strictly as Giovanni Pernice 'bullying' row erupts again

Amanda Abbington was spotted on set with Emma Thompson in her first major TV role since her Strictly row erupted once again. 

It was revealed in July that the Sherloick actress, 53, would return to screens in the second series of Apple TV's detective thriller Down Cemetery Road alongside Emma Thompson, who is reprising her part as private investigator Zoë Boehm.

The smiling star was seen sporting a brunette hairstyle with a fringe and wearing a pretty summer dress as she filmed alongside the Oscar-winning actress, who wore casual clothes and a grey pixie crop while shooting the scenes in North London.  

Amanda's appearance comes amid mass off-screen drama after her bitter fallout with her Strictly dance partner Giovanni Pernice, who said he was left suicidal by their row, which Amanda said he is 'grossly mischaracterising'.

The actress made a shock exit just weeks into the competition in 2023 and later accused Giovanni of 'vile abuse' - prompting an enquiry from the BBC, Amanda receiving an apology and 'substantial payout' and Giovanni leaving the show.

Down Cemetery Road first hit screens last year and follows the story of the aftermath of a missing child and conspiracy theories in South Oxford suburbs.

Amanda's role is yet to be announced in the show, which is based on the work of Mick Herron, the author of the acclaimed Slow Horses series. 

She wore a chic ensemble on-set, comprising a summer dress, trench coat and trainers while clutching a blue bag.  

Despite smiling while getting back to work, Amanda released a speedy rebuttal to new claims made by Giovanni in his new autobiography, Taking the Lead, which was serialised in The Mail on Sunday last weekend.

While Giovanni insisted he believed his relationship with Amanda to be a good one, based on friendly banter, the actress said his treatment led to her being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

After the book was unveiled, Amanda responded saying: ‘He is grossly mischaracterising what happened to suit his own narrative but I have no interest in engaging with that. My focus is on moving forward...

‘He took part in the BBC investigation that made findings against him, following which the channel paid me compensation'.

She took particular umbrage when Giovanni said in his book how she had made a deeply offensive Nazi salute during a rehearsal. He said that, while he could have taken it further and complained to Strictly bosses, he didn’t.

He said: ‘If somebody calls me rude names and makes rude gestures, including a Nazi salute (which Amanda did), it means our banter is at that level'.

Giovanni had also presented investigators with a 28-minute audio tape of a conversation with Amanda in which she told him how she knew she was a ‘nightmare’ and that she’d ‘throw me out of the window’ if she were him.

The release of his book comes after Amanda received hger a five-figure out-of-court settlement and a contribution to her legal fees from BBC Studios. 

The settlement has reportedly been made in a bid to prevent a lengthy court battle and allowing Amanda – who was subsequently diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) – to put her ordeal behind her.

A source told The Sun on Sunday newspaper: 'Amanda's friends and family are all relieved for her that this ordeal is finally over. It's been a long, hard journey, but now she can close this chapter and move on with her life.

'The fact the BBC have compensated Amanda as well as previously publicly apologising really proves that they are taking responsibility for the bullying she suffered on set.

'She hopes that this case will give others strength and encourage people to speak up.'

The Daily Mail has contacted representatives Amanda for comment. BBC representatives declined to comment when approached. 

Following an investigation by the BBC, Giovanni was cleared of the most serious accusations made against him and the BBC issued a formal apology to Amanda.

The report found that some of the language used by Giovanni towards Amanda could be 'belittling' and agreed with the Mr Selfridge actress that his feedback was, at times, 'overly negative' and that he had used profanity during rehearsals.

The report noted after reviewing several hours of rehearsal footage as part of an official investigation that there were two moments of 'inappropriate behaviour of sexual banter in the workplace', which were found to simply have been 'made and received as jokes' between the pair.