AMANDA ABBINGTON is a much-loved star of stage and screen.
Find out more about her life and career, including the allegations she’s made following her time on Strictly.
Who is Amanda Abbington?
Actress Amanda Abbington was born on February 28, 1974, in North London.
She was born an only child, and was brought up in Hertfordshire.
Amanda’s had a career spanning three decades, making her debut on screen in 1993 when she appeared in TV police drama The Bill.
She got engaged to daredevil stuntman Jonathan Goodwin in 2021.
In 2023 Amanda was announced as one of the contestants on Strictly Come Dancing.
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When was Amanda Abbington on Strictly Come Dancing?
Viewers found out that Amanda would be taking part in the 2023 series of Strictly when the line-up was unveiled that summer.
It was then revealed on the series launch show that she’d be partnered with pro dancer Giovanni Pernice.
Amanda was the ninth celeb to dance with him on the hit show, just two years after his emotional win alongside actress Rose Ayling-Ellis.
Week one saw Amanda and Giovanni dance a Viennese Waltz to Pointless, by Scottish singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi.
They received praise from the judges, and were regularly placed high on the show’s leaderboard.
The couple made it all the way to week five of the show, before Amanda pulled out– she said at the time it was due to a personal issue.
What happened to Amanda Abbington on Strictly?
Since leaving the show, Amanda has made a number of allegations about her dance partner Giovanni.
She said she raised concerns with the show’s bosses, claiming she’d been subjected to bullying during rehearsals for the show.
Amanda also slammed the BBC for not giving her enough aftercare, saying she didn’t hear from anyone after the scandal became public.
She also claims that, contrary to reports she snubbed the live final of the show, she wasn’t invited.
Since revealing her experiences, Amanda says she’s been subjected to abuse from fans of her dance partner.
Following her claims – which Giovanni denies – a number of other celebs have come forward to talk about their experience.
What movies and TV shows has Amanda Abbington starred in?
Amanda has starred in a wide range of films and TV shows over her career.
Most famously she played the part of Mary Morstan in Sherlock, alongside her then-husband Martin Freeman.
She also Josie Mardle in Mr Selfridge between 2013 and 2016.
Her acting career began with a number of roles in The Bill from 1993, before picking up a number of parts in shows such as Casualty and Wycliffe.
Amanda became a regular in the Sky football drama Dream Team, starring in 41 episodes.
She also turned to comedy, appearing as Siobhan in sitcom After You’ve Gone alongside Nicholas Lyndhurst and Celia Imrie.
In 2018, Amanda played one of the lead roles in acclaimed Netflix series Safe, based on the Harlan Coben novel.
A few months before she was announced for Strictly, she starred in an episode of dark comedy series Inside No.9.
The acting star has also appeared in a number of films throughout her career.
In 2022 she had a role in The Lost King, written by and starring Steve Coogan.
Amanda also starred in an adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Crooked House.
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Who is Amanda Abbington’s partner, Jonathan Goodwin?
Amanda got engaged to her partner Jonathan Goodwin in 2021, following a whirlwind romance.
They’d known each other online for a number of years, having connected through Twitter and liked lots of each others posts.
Jonathan was living in the US, but when they were both single he decided to travel to meet Amanda in Vienna, where she was working on a project.
The pair got engaged within days of meeting up, and two weeks later Jonathan travelled to the UK to meet Amanda’s family.
He worked as a stunt performer, but after he travelled back to the US to work on a show, disaster struck.
A rehearsal went horrifically wrong, leaving Jonathan paralysed from the waist down.
He went through major surgery on his spine, and after a period of recovery he was transferred over to the UK.
Amanda vowed to stick by his side following what happened, and they now live together in Hertfordshire.
When was Amanda Abbington married to Martin Freeman?
Amanda met Martin Freeman in 2000.
It was announced in 2016, that Amanda and Martin split after being together for 16 years.
In January of that year, it was revealed by The Sun that Martin was confronted by Amanda over a friendship with a showbiz researcher in the weeks before their shock split.
Furious Amanda was said to have raised questions over the unlikely friendship in the run up to the end of their 16 year relationship.
A source told The Sun at the time: “Amanda was absolutely furious about it – she confronted him over his relationship with the woman, who works in the business too, and demanded answers.”