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Amanda Abbington has responded with a very frank statement after Strictly Come Dancing pro Giovanni Pernice gave a candid interview about his experience working with her on the show.

The public back and forth comes after the results of a long-awaited BBC investigation were revealed, with six of the 17 complaints against Pernice being upheld.

Pernice recalled his last exchange with the Sherlock star before she dramatically quit the show in the middle of filming. He insisted that they had shared a “very rude banter” from the beginning of their working relationship and that their last interaction had been on good terms.

Abbington has hit back at those claims, calling them “delusional”.

“Mr Pernice’s claim that ‘everything in the rehearsal room worked perfectly’ is false and delusional, and underlines the toxic culture Ms Abbington endured on Strictly Come Dancing,” her representatives said in a statement to the Daily Mail.

“The BBC’s own investigation concluded that Mr Pernice was in breach of multiple BBC Policies, including repeated breaches of the Anti-Bullying and Harassment Policy. Mr Pernice was spoken to by the BBC on several occasions about his misconduct – but his behaviour only continued.”

The statement continued, “At no time did Ms Abbington regard his verbal abuse or inappropriate behaviour as banter. This is precisely the kind of gaslighting behaviour which victims of bullying and harassment often have to endure: it’s these people Ms Abbington will continue to speak up for.”

Abbington’s representatives also shared that the actor had been left “concerned” with the way her complaint was handled by the BBC.

She revealed that she will be meeting with the corporation to discuss the way that it had been handled, particularly with the media. It comes after the star said she is considering further action about specific allegations such as the claim that Pernice made a shocking sexual gesture towards her.

“Ms Abbington remains concerned about the way the inquiry into her complaint was handled by the BBC,” the statement continued. “And the leaking of the investigation report to the press, and will be meeting with the Corporation in due course to raise these in more detail.”

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The 50-year-old pulled out of the BBC One show last year and later filed complaints of verbal bullying and harassment against her professional dance partner Pernice, and revealed she had endured PTSD as a result of the experience.

The BBC’s months-long investigation into his conduct acknowledged Abbington’s complaints of verbal bullying and harassment but concluded that the Italian dancer was not physically aggressive to his celebrity partner.

LOVE Island star Demi Jones has sent pulses racing after ditching her underwear before walking the red carpet.

Demi, 26, was snapped in a sexy lace dress at a film premiere and her lack of bra left very little to the imagination.

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Demi’s floor-length gown featured a big velvet bow to cover her modesty and she teamed it with matching long gloves.

She also hid her nipples with strategically placed stick-on pasties.

The reality star was photographed at the premiere for Venom: The Last Dance, which was held at the BFI IMAX in London.

Demi’s Halloween-inspired dress was a perfect fit for the occasion, too.

Brit actor Tom Hardy returns as Eddie Brock in the final instalment of the Marvel trilogy.

Eddie is a journalist who plays current host to the terrifying extraterrestrial symbiote Venom.

The Spider-Man spin-off will hit cinemas in the UK on Friday (October 25) and the stars were out in force to celebrate its release.

Demi was on the red carpet alone, however, after keeping quiet about her private life over the past few months.

In August, we confirmed that Demi was still dating her jailbird boyfriend Miami.

It also transpired that the fiery redhead was even in a relationship with him when she took part in this year’s Love Island All Stars in January.

Their relationship might have been why Demi – who was coupled up with Louis Morrison – was dumped from the villa so swiftly.

Miami – real name Kai – was released from prison in April after 26 months inside and he was spotted with Demi in August at an Arsenal game.

A month earlier, they were also seen looking very cosy at an event while trying – and failing – to stay under the radar.

An insider said at the time: “Demi and Kai spend a lot of time together. They don’t like to make a deal about it but the connection is still very much there.”

However, since August, Demi has remained tight-lipped about her love life and failed to mention Miami on her social media profiles.

As a result, it is unclear whether they are still in a relationship.

Although she didn’t have an official date for the premiere, Demi was in good company.

She was joined at the glitzy showbiz bash by fellow Love Island alumni Molly Marsh and Zachariah Noble.

But it was leading man Tom Hardy who stole the show, alongside Venom actress Juno Temple, who plays Dr. Payne.

Juno also sizzled on the red carpet in a black dress with huge cutout detailing on the torso.

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Cat Deeley was comforted by Ben Shephard as she struggled to hold back tears on Wednesday’s episode of This Morning (23 October).

The presenter, who rose to fame in the Nineties and Noughties for presenting SMTV Live alongside Ant and Dec, was given a caterpillar cake with her face on it by her co-host Shephard to celebrate her 48th birthday.

Deeley was left emotional after Shephard revealed that renowned British poet Pam Ayres had composed a personalised poem to celebrate the occasion. She explained that she had been woken up at 5:30am to be presented with birthday cards by her family.

“I got up at 5.30, there were cards made,” she said on the show.

“There was one where we were all swimming underwater and they’d made it. It said, ‘take a deep breath, mum, you’re getting old’. They thought it was the funniest thing on the planet.”

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After confirming her age, Shephard joked “You don’t look a day over 47! You look amazing. I think any opportunity to celebrate birthdays is very important.” He then went on to reveal the surprise gift the show had organised for the host.

Ayres read the poem to Deeley later in the programme saying, “We mustn’t forget people’s birthdays – the one day in all of the year for making somebody feel special, and those far away to feel dear.”

She continued, “To get out of bed in the morning to see all the cards on the mat, from all of the folk who remembered, well that’s nice – well you can ask Cat!

“No we mustn’t forget people’s birthdays, that is the wrong thing to do. So with speed uppermost, pop a card in the post, and then they might send one to you.”

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Deeley was overjoyed at the reading as she thanked the poet for the gift.

She said: “Thank you so, so much and I’m so glad that you read it for me as well because it’s [Ayres’ poems] so intrinsically part of my childhood.”

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Meanwhile, the 77-year-old said: “I don’t like other people reading my poems. No, I don’t, I want to get them by the throat and say, ‘You’re doing it all wrong, give it back’.

“I don’t know, some people just don’t see how it’s supposed to bounce along. So I was glad to do it myself.”

The TV presenters took over from ex-hosts Philip Schofield and Holly Willoughby who left the programme in 2023 after 14 years. Schofield resigned after admitting to having a relationship with a teenage crew member who had started working at the show when he was aged 15. Schofield admitted the affair was “unwise, but not illegal”.

Meanwhile, Willoughby left shortly after and has remained away from the public eye following a thwarted kidnap, murder and rape plot.

KEANU Reeves appeared to turn back time on The One Show as viewers couldn’t believe his age.

The Bill and Ted leged shocked presenter Alex Jones when he casually dropped it into conversation.

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The star, known for his action-packed roles, also said it had been 25 years since the Matrix and ten years since he the first John Wicks movie – two of his biggest franchies.

Alex commented: “Many milestones this year for you, Keanu.”

To which he replied: “Well, I’ve turned 60 this year.”

“You cannot be 60!” Alex said, to which he nodded: “I am 60 years old.”

Keanu sparked a wave of disbelief on social media, with one fan commenting: “Gorgeous at 60. The man is timeless #TheOneShow.”

Another viewer wrote, “Keanu Reeves is nearly 60?! How is this man not aging?!”

Keanu was on the show with best selling author China Miéville, who he has teamed up with on a sci-fi novel, The Book of Nowhere.

But he didn’t mind taking viewers down memory lane and he spoke about his joy at reuniting with Sandra Bullock for the 30th anniversary of their hit movie Speed.

He said: “It was so nice.

“Sandra Bullock and I get along so well and it’s always nice to see her so it was nice to hang out for a little bit.”

He also revealed the role that he wanted to play, but said it had passed him by.

He said: “When I was growing up I wanted to play the Batman, for sure.

“I watched the television series when I was a kid. I really enjoyed it. Batman sounded like it would be fun.

“I think my Batman ship has sailed. But I did get to play it in an animated film. It was a good day.”

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Severance fans will be relieved to learn that the trailer for season two has been released after a prolonged – and frustrating – wait.

Severance stars Adam Scott, Tramell Tillman, Britt Lower, Zach Cherry and John Turturro as employees of a shady biotech company called Lumon that “severs” its employees’ memories using a medical procedure, dividing their work and home lives completely in a daring experiment to find a work-life balance.

Fans have been waiting for more than two years since the workplace thriller aired its jaw-dropping cliffhanger finale, and this is the first trailer we’ve seen for the forthcoming season, which premiers on 17 January 2025.

In the new trailer for the Apple TV+ show, Scott’s Mark S returns to work after exposing his Innie – his at-work persona – to the outside world and, in a mind-bending twist, learning that his wife, who he thought was dead, is actually alive, and is working at Lumon as the wellness counsellor Ms Casey.

Mark can be seen running through white corridors until he arrives in a bare office greeted by Tillman’s Milchick, who says “Welcome back Mark S, it’s been a minute”. Mark then notices three unfamiliar Lumon employees mysteriously sitting at desks formerly occupied by Helly, Irving and Dylan, and asks them, “who are you?”

Mark is then heard saying, “I give my consent to sever my memories between my work life and my personal life.”

A voiceover says at the beginning of the trailer, “Everything you know about severance is a lie”.

It continues, “We’re not happy, we’re miserable”.

One fan said online that their “heart was pounding just from this trailer,” adding, “I cannot wait for this show to return!”

Another added, “Can you imagine I’ve been waiting for this series for almost 3 years and I can’t move on from the ending.. this series is so underrated!”

One viewer joked, “This is the only return to the office I will support”, as another said, “I’ve been waiting my whole life for this.”

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Directed and executive produced by Zoolander star Ben Stiller, the second series went into production in October 2022, but had been delayed due to creative disputes and the Hollywood strikes. Filming finally wrapped in April this year.

New cast members include Game of Thrones’ Gwendoline Christie, Search Party’s Alia Shawkat, Bob Balaban, Merritt Wever, Robby Benson, Stefano Carannante, John Noble, Ólafur Darri and Sarah Bock.

For a reminder of what happened in the Severance season one finale, read on. But be warned – spoilers follow.

It was revealed that Helly R’s Outie – the person she is on the outside – is actually Lumon CEO Jame Eagan’s newly severed daughter, Helena Eagan, and she’s just announced to a party full of Lumon shareholders the company is torturing its severed employees – despite Ms Cobel’s (Patricia Arquette) huge efforts to prevent her from doing so.

Mark’s Innie, meanwhile, found out that Outie Mark has a supposedly dead wife called Gemma (Dichen Lachman), who we know is actually alive because in Lumon she is wellness director Miss Casey. He admitted the shocking news to a room of guests at Devon (Jen Tullock) and Ricken’s (Michael Chernus) book launch party.

Innie Irving (Turturro) went to the home of his romantic interest, now-retired severed Lumon employee Burt (Christopher Walken), whose Outie has a partner. And finally Dylan’s (Cherry) heroic hour-long battle to hold the switches keeping the mental gate open for his colleagues’ Innies, so they could find help on the outside, was shut off by Milchick who pushed him to the ground.

MARTIN LEWIS is well known for his expert money-saving tips and advice.

But it turns out that he’s also got a few tricks up his sleeve when it comes to playing board games.

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The Good Morning Britain presenter will be hosting a festive special for ITV called How To Win At Board Games, schooling viewers on the likes of Scrabble, Connect 4 and Monopoly.

He will spotlight the top tactics and game-winning tricks behind the most popular games and, in the process, take on some of the toughest of competitors while improving his own gameplay skills.

The one-off will air over Christmas to help his fans take on their relatives and win.

This comes as Martin issued an urgent warning to millions of households who are missing out on vital benefits to make a claim.

Every year, people lose out on an estimated £23billion in benefits and support due to stigma or the assumption that they are not eligible.

In the MoneySaving Expert newsletter Martin Lewis recently said: “Billions in benefits goes unclaimed each year – most by workers or pensioners who have paid into the system for yonks and are in need of help.

‘Even some with higher incomes are due – don’t assume ‘it’s not me’.”

The consumer champion has rounded up seven benefits that are massively underclaimed.

Around 1.4 million people miss out on an average of up to £5,800 in Universal Credit each year.

The monthly benefit is a “catch-all” for those of working age who have low or no income and living and housing costs.

Households with incomes of up to £35,000 a year are the most likely to be missing out.

But if you have kids then high childcare costs and rent could mean you may still be eligible if your household income is up to £60,000 a year.

You can make a claim through the Government’s website or by calling the Universal Credit Helpline on 0800 328 5644.

You can check if you are eligible here.