30 September 2023 , 17:10
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Taking on her first Strictly Come Dancing performance of the 2023 series, Amanda Abbington wowed judges with her “beautiful” Viennese waltz last week with partner Giovanni Pernice.
While the actress will be holding our attention for her dance skills over the next 12 weeks, Amanda is best known for her role as Mary Watson in the beloved BBC Sherlock series alongside her ex-husband Martin Freeman, who played John Watson. The couple first met while working on set of the film Men Only in 2000 and went on to appear in a number of shows together including The Debt and The Good Night.
But after 16 years together, the couple split in 2016, with Amanda, 49, confessing she fears she and Martin, 52, have caused their two teenage children, Joe and Grace, “irreparable damage” because of their divorce. Speaking during an Instagram Live session back in 2021, Amanda - who is an ambassador for It’s OK mental health campaign, stressed that she didn’t want to “hide” anything from her children and pretend everything was perfect.
Amanda Abbington and Martin Freeman split in 2016 (Getty Images)
Amanda Abbington (Dave Benett/Getty Images)She said: “I think it’s unsettling if I pretend I’m this Stepford Wife parent. Nobody is. I’m sure I’ve given them irreparable damage and they will be going to therapy because of me and Martin at some point. That’s what I am striving for and what Martin strives for as well — to create a place where they’re not hiding anything.”
Amanda, who is now engaged to stuntman Jonathan Goodwin, 43, added that she was open with her children about her own mental health. “To hide this from my children, that sometimes I get depressed or if I’m on antidepressants, what are you saying about all these mental health issues?” She said. “Are you saying they’re offensive and shouldn’t happen? I don’t want that.”
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Amanda Abbington and Giovanni Pernice during the live show on Saturday (PA)With the world of online social media open to anyone available to make nasty comments, this has also proved tricky for her family - with her son admitting he was upset by a Twitter using wishing she was dead online. Amanda said: “The idea that someone has the mentality to throw those things out to people without even thinking about the ripple effect of that. It’s the casual hate I find really upsetting.”
Amanda - who is also known for playing Josie Mardle in Mr Selfridge - admitted that when she split from Martin Freeman she even contemplated suicide after their separation, saying it left her a “mess”. Speaking on the Full Disclosure podcast with James O’Brien, said: “It was breaking up with Martin and then realising I needed to sort myself out because I was a bit of a mess. I hated myself.”
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