Amanda Abbington has said she is quitting Strictly Come Dancing with the “deepest regret”.
The actress, 49, who appeared in BBC drama Sherlock, said she was leaving the BBC programme due to “personal reasons”.
In a statement posted in Instagram this morning she thanked the production staff and all those who voted for her. She did not mention her dance partner, Giovanni Pernice.
She said: “It is with deepest regret that I had to leave Strictly. I did not come to this decision easily or lightly but for personal reasons I am unable to continue.
“It was an absolute joy working with my fellow contestants, they are a beautiful, hardworking and talented group of people who I love and who I will miss seeing every Friday and Saturday and competing alongside ... It’s a wonderful bunch of people and I’ll miss all of them. I’m so sad that I am unable to go any further.”
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Claudia Winkleman, co-host of the programme, replied to the post simply saying: “We love you.”
Abbington had missed last week’s programme for medical reasons and pulled out of the live show on Saturday evening. On the spin-off programme, Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two, Fleur East, the co-presenter, confirmed that Abbington had left the programme and read a statement from a Strictly representative.
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It said: “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.”
In her last appearance on the show, Abbington scored 31 out of a possible 40 for a foxtrot to Everywhere by Fleetwood Mac, with the judge Motsi Mabuse saying that she enjoyed that Abbington and Pernice took the time to show the “beauty of the movement”.
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After it was announced that Abbington was quitting the show, Pernice uploaded a photo to his Instagram page of the pair wearing Christmas outfits and offered good wishes to his former dance partner.
The post read: “Amanda ... I am so sad that we can’t continue but I am proud of what we achieved and I am sending you so much love.”
In the second week of Strictly Abbington had impressed the judges with complex-looking lifts and a handstand when she performed the salsa to Oye by Gloria Estefan.
During movie week she scored 30 points for her “magical” Bridget Jones-inspired rumba to Out of Reach by Gabrielle.
Abbington has previously faced criticism over social media comments she had made regarding gender. In August, when Strictly announced that she would take part in this year’s series, some fans of the show said that they would refuse to watch it because of her comments.
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At the time Abbington said she believed the online backlash was in response to a tweet she had written about a 12-year-old child performing in drag. It expressed her disapproval of a drag show aimed at parents with babies, which she described as “abhorrent”. She apologised shortly afterwards and denied that she was transphobic.
There were also rumours as this year’s series began that Abbington and Pernice were not getting on, and that the demands on her in rehearsals were punishing.
