BBC Strictly Come Dancing star Amanda Abbington 'wasn't invited' back to final
31.12.2023 - 16:47
/ dailyrecord.co.uk
Amanda Abbington was not invited back by BBC bosses to perform at the Strictly Come Dancing finale, according to insiders.
The Sherlock star, who was partnered up with professional dancer Giovanni Pernice on the dance contest, was forced to leave the competition just five weeks in due to "personal reasons".
Now sources have claimed that the 51-year-old was not invited along with the rest of the Strictly stars for this year's grand finale, the Mirror reports.
An insider said: "There was a lot of talk on set about Amanda's notable absence from the finale. It seemed unfair that Nigel was invited back and she wasn’t.
"I imagine she was upset by the snub as it would have been nice to have seen her return for one last dance, especially as she was so popular on the show and well-liked by viewers."
Fellow Strictly contestant Nigel Harman was also forced to pull out of the competition in the quarter final after sustaining a bad rib injury during rehearsals.
However viewers were quick to notice that the Casualty star, who was partnered up with Katya Jones, made an appearance at the final which saw winners Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola take home the Glitterball trophy.
After the revelations in The Sun, the BBC reiterated their previous response to Amanda's exit, with a spokesperson saying: "Amanda Abbington is unable to continue in Strictly Come Dancing and has decided to withdraw from the competition.
"The show wishes her all the best for the future."
It comes after news that Amanda is said to still be ‘distraught’ over her swift exit from Strictly.
The English actress was one of the twelve celebrities competing in the season 21 of the long-running BBC dance contest.
The exact reason behind Amanda's exit has still not been confirmed with