Debbie McGee has leapt to the defence of former Strictly Come Dancing partner Giovanni Pernice, after Amanda Abbington claimed working with him led her to getting Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Taking to Instagram, the former magician's assistant, 67, uploaded a beaming throwback picture of her and the Italian performer, 33, taken backstage when she competed on the show in 2017."Happy memories, Giovanni and I had the best of times on Strictly," the widow of magician Paul Daniel's captioned the snap.
Pernice thanked McGee for her support in the comments section, writing: "Love you … thank you," followed by four red love-heart emojis.
Sherlock actress Abbington, 51, quit the BBC One dance competition during week five of last year's series, citing "personal issues".
This came amidst reports of a fallout between her and Pernice, which she furiously denied at the time.
She has now backtracked and is reported to have requested access to footage of their rehearsals, which she is said to believe will "back up" her claims about her mental health.
Strictly bosses are said to be "confused" by this development and knew nothing about her PTSD.
A source told the MailOnline: “Amanda’s reason for quitting Strictly was an entirely different one to her PTSD.
“She told production of a totally different medical condition and they [were] hugely supportive of her and did all they could to help.
“Nobody seems to quite understand what is going on here.”
In September, Abbington dismissed a fallout with Pernice on social media, branding the claims “b******t,” and telling people on Instagram to “shut up” about it.
She and Pernice – who has worked on Strictly since 2015 – were seen hugging and appearing friendly during their appearances on the show, which is hosted by Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.
