28 April 2023 , 21:01
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Amanda Abbington is said to have signed up for this year's Strictly Come Dancing as she bounces back from a "rough ride".
The Sherlock actress, 49, split from her partner and co-star Martin Freeman in 2016 after 16 years together and two children.
Following their split, Amanda is now engaged to escapologist Jonathan Goodwin, 42 , but he was left paralysed from the waist down after a stunt on America’s Got Talent: Extreme went wrong.
He was hung upside down in a straitjacket and dangled 30ft in the air between two suspended burning cars but was horrifyingly crushed when they smashed into each other too early.
Amanda's heartbreak didn't end there as Jonathan nearly died again during an operation to repair his injuries.
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Amanda's fiance suffered a horrific accident on America's Got Talent (Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
The actress said she wanted to go on Strictly 13 years ago (Dave Benett/Getty Images)"Amanda has had a rough ride over the past seven years and just recently has she come out the other side.
"The accident only brought Amanda and Jonathan closer together and she’s keen to start a whole new chapter in her life," a source told The Sun.
"Part of that is taking part in Strictly because it’s a long-held ambition of hers and one she is on track to fulfil before her milestone 50th birthday next year."
Amanda has spoken of her desire to appear on the show for over a decade, as in 2010 she admitted: "The only thing I’d love to do is Strictly Come Dancing.
"I love the idea of learning something. This is an official application. But I’m sure me being on it would be its downfall.
"The curse of Amanda Abbington strikes again!"
The actress has bravely spoken about her mental health struggles and revealed she contemplated suicide after splitting from ex-partner Martin Freeman.
The pair never tied the knot, but were together for 16 years before splitting in 2016. They share two kids together; Joe, 17, and Grace, 16.
Abbington and Freeman split in 2016 after 16 years together (PA)In 2020 The Office favourite started dating 27-year-old French actress Rachel Mariam.
Amanda, who stars as Martin's on-screen wife, Mary Watson, in BBC's Sherlock, 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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Talking about a recent moment that affected her on the Full Disclosure podcast, she added: "It was funny because the other day, and I’ve never told anyone, not even my therapist, I’d had a row with Grace because she couldn’t find her uniform and was late for school.
"So in the end I had to drive her to school instead of the bus and I was sitting in the car and I was having a go at her and I was getting nothing back from her because she’s a 15-year-old and she’s going through all this stuff."
Amanda added: "She’s a girl, I’m a mother — rage, anxiety. And I was sat there as I was driving, in my head, and I haven’t said this since I started therapy six years ago, "you could always kill yourself".
"And that was what my mantra used to be. If you’ve let people down and upset somebody or if you’re not being the best you can or you’re a bad mother, or you’re not stepping up with your acting, you can always kill yourself."
*If you're struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email [email protected] or visit their site to find your local branch