{"id":36711,"date":"2023-09-11T08:00:41","date_gmt":"2023-09-11T06:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1885727"},"modified":"2023-09-11T12:55:26","modified_gmt":"2023-09-11T10:55:26","slug":"amanda-abbington-opens-up-on-handling-scrutiny-ahead-of-strictly","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/amanda-abbington-opens-up-on-handling-scrutiny-ahead-of-strictly\/","title":{"rendered":"Amanda Abbington opens up on handling scrutiny ahead of Strictly"},"content":{"rendered":"

Abbington’s Strictly journey has already been fraught with some controversy. <\/p>

By Minnie Wright\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Monday, 11 September 2023 at 06:00 AM<\/p>

\n\n

Amanda Abbington recently found herself under intense scrutiny following the announcement that she was taking part in Strictly Come Dancing 2023<\/a>, with some fans threatening to boycott this season<\/a> of the show as a result.<\/p>\n

Now, as she prepares to take to the dance floor and discover her professional partner in Saturday night\u2019s launch episode, she has opened up about her feelings being put in the spotlight on such a popular show.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think you can choose to manage it, I do,\u201d she told press including RadioTimes.com<\/a>. \u201cI think you can kind of manage how much you want to give away.<\/p>\n

\u201cMe and ex-partner [Martin Freeman] never had our children shown out in public up until the age where they wanted to do it. So I think you can manage it yourself and decide how much you want to show people and, like, how much you want to let them in.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut this [Strictly] does kind of catapult you, which I find really funny. But it\u2019s such a huge show that I kind of understand. You can hide away or you can give yourself over, it\u2019s up to you!\u201d<\/p>\n

Last month, Amanda posted a video on Instagram defending herself from accusations of transphobia following a backlash after she was announced as part of the Strictly 2023 line-up<\/a>, which saw some fans calling for a boycott of the show due to her casting.<\/p>\n

\"Amanda\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Amanda Abbington is taking part in Strictly Come Dancing this year.<\/span><\/figcaption> BBC<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

She defended comments she previously made on Twitter (recently rebranded as X), saying she thought the negative response to news of her participation in Strictly was due to \u201ca tweet [she] made back in March regarding a drag show\u201d.<\/p>\n

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The Sherlock<\/a> actress went on to say she \u201cloves[s]\u201d drag, and that it is a \u201cbrilliant\u201d art-form, but that her tweet was regarding a \u201c12-year-old who was doing it in front of adults\u201d, adding: \u201cPersonally speaking, I don\u2019t think 12-year-olds should be performing in drag shows in overtly sexual ways.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

She also said she didn\u2019t associate the tweet with the trans community and that she is \u201cnot transphobic\u201d, telling fans: \u201cI\u2019m not a transphobic person. I am a firm supporter of the legitimate trans community; I always have been.\u201d<\/p>

Amanda also issued an apology, seemingly for a comment she previously made on Twitter, which said: \u201cYou cannot have a penis and be referred to as a woman.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI made a stupid comment a few years ago. I was ill-informed. I apologised and did my research and I\u2019m much more informed now,\u201d she said in the video.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve said stupid things, of course I have, and instantly regretted them. Everybody is learning.\u201d<\/p>