Strictly Come Dancing celebrated Amanda and Giovanni one hour before they 'quit'

23 October 2023 , 16:37

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Strictly Come Dancing celebrated Amanda and Giovanni one hour before they 'quit'

The BBC and Strictly Come Dancing celebrated Amanda Abbington and Giovani Pernice just one hour before they announced their shock exit from the show.

Fans of the long running BBC dance contest were crushed on Monday when news broke that 49-year-old Amanda and 33-year-old Giovanni were leaving the show. Reports emerged in the afternoon that the pair had decided to walk away from the contest after five weeks after Amanda had become “fed up” with conditions on the show.

For weeks, rumours had swirled that she and Giovanni had clashed behind the scenes of the dance show - and they were forced to miss week five of the series due to “medical reasons”. Show bosses had hoped that the pair would make a triumphant return in time for week six, but fans were dealt a bombshell with the news Amanda had opted to quit the show instead.

Just one hour before Amanda’s exit was revealed, the official Strictly Come Dancing Instagram account had celebrated both her and Giovanni. The shared a short reel of footage featuring all the main contestants from the 2023 contest.

Amanda Abbington was celebrated by the BBC one hour before she quit Strictly Come Dancing (Instagram)

Giovanni Pernice was also featured in the short clip (Instagram)

A caption alongside the video read: “Taking a moment to appreciate the energy our #Strictly couples bring to #ItTakesTwo.” The camera showed Giovanni on the companion show wearing a pink suit and saying “Oh lovely jubbly” - while Amanda was spotted saying: “I like this! This is nice!” while tucking herself under a duvet.

EastEnders' Jake Wood's snap of son has fans pointing out the pair's likeness

Fans reacting to the post specifically stated they hoped to see Amanda back on the main show this coming weekend - with one writing: “Hope seeing amanda this week.” But news quickly spread through social media revealing she had quit the show.

One gutted fan responded to the Strictly post, writing: “he’s quit due to setbacks” with a fan responding, writing: “No wayyyy, im gonna cry.”

A full explanation for Amanda and Giovanni’s abrupt exit had yet to be revealed - but they had been forced to pull out of the week five live show due to health reasons. An official statement from Strictly announced in advance: "Due to medical reasons Amanda Abbington will not be taking part in Strictly Come Dancing this weekend. Strictly Come Dancing protocols mean that all being well, Amanda and Giovanni will return the following week."

Now devastated fans are consoling themselves after it was revealed the pair will not be returning to the show for the rest of the 2023 run. One disappointed fan wrote on X: “I’m gutted Amanda Abbington has withdrawn she was brilliant on strictly.”

And another typed: “Absolutely devastated that Amanda Abbington has quit #Strictly... One of my faves from week one having not known her before either. I had a feeling it was coming. Going to miss her and Gio so much they were a joy to watch. Sending much love and hugs to them both.”

Mirror.co.uk