Martin Freeman has shared how he really feels about former partner Amanda Abbington.

Abbington, 50, has been at the centre of the ongoing BBC probe into Strictly Come Dancing after she came forward with allegations of bullying and misconduct in rehearsals. She also branded professional partner Giovanni Pernice 's behaviour in the studio as "abusive, cruel and "mean".

Giovanni has strongly denied all the allegations being made against him, and has urged the public to 'ignore' Amanda's claims. A friend close to the Italian star went on to say that his legal team have discovered evidence that will definitively "clear his name", and prove that Amanda's claims are not the whole truth.

Since the Sherlock actress' claims came to the fore, Abbington has been inundated with hate comments and abuse from online trolls. She has also had threats to her and her family's lives, and has described the barrage of hated as "brutal and unforgiving".

The star has gone through tough periods in her life where her mental health has taken a toll. One of these periods was the painful split she suffered from her former long-term beau Martin Freeman - which deeply affected her and left her with suicidal thoughts.