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'We go to bed every night worrying about our daughter - she hasn't been the same since Strictly.' Amanda Abbington's parents tell the Mail why they feel 'sorry' for Giovanni - as others tell of her heartache over Martin Freeman split

Amanda Abbington's parents were used to watching their daughter getting rejected, firstly as a ballet dancer, and as an actress, dragging herself through auditions, seeking her big break.

Amanda Abbington's parents were used to watching their daughter getting rejected, firstly as a young ballet dancer, and then as an aspiring actress, dragging herself through the soul-destroying audition process, seeking her big break. Yet those following the ongoing, protracted saga of Amanda's complaints about how she was allegedly treated by her dance partner Giovanni Pernice during last year's Strictly, will know how much their depiction of a tough, resilient little cookie is at odds with this week's raft of tearful TV interviews where she described how she was 'bullied' by her Italian sidekick. So, what was it that drove Amanda, this grounded, hard-working girl from humble beginnings, to prompt a scandal so big that the BBC director general, Tim Davie, issued an apology to anyone who didn't enjoy their Strictly experience, while throwing the entire future of the Corporation's 'Jewel in the Crown' show into question after 20 glorious years?

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