RACHEL Riley has revealed competing on Strictly Come Dancing left her with PTSD.
The presenter was paired with her now-husband, Pasha Kovalev, during the 2013 series.
Adding fuel to the flames, Countdown star Rachel spoke negatively about her time on the BBC show at the Inspiration Awards For Women last month.
She told The Mirror, "I know from my time on [Strictly], 11 years ago, even the most sane, solid, grounded people, it can do something to you.
"And there’s so many people that I’ve seen in subsequent years that have that shared experience. I don’t think even production are aware of quite what it does to people.
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"I needed cognitive behavioural therapy after competing in 2013 and developed post-traumatic stress disorder.
"If I heard the theme music, I’d start reliving the experience. It was scary and unnerving, so my way of dealing with it is to avoid watching."
Amanda Abbington, who was matched with Giovanni last year, has allegedly taken legal action against him - claiming that her lessons and training with him left her with PTSD too.
She is demanding footage of her rehearsals with the professional dancer following clashes between the pair.
The Sherlock star dramatically quit the show in October citing medical reasons.
She believes the hours of their practice tapes could support her claims about the pro dancer’s alleged behaviour towards her.
It's also been reported that Amanda has spoken to Giovanni's former partners Laura Whitmore and Ranvir Singh to "compare notes" on their experiences with him.
In 2018, Steps' Faye Tozer, who was paired with Giovanni for It Takes Two, was left in tears after they got into a heated argument.
An insider told The Sun that Giovanni's "fiercely competitive" nature left her feeling uncomfortable and emotional during rehearsals.
"They did often clash and she was in tears on It Takes Two' She found how he spoke to her abrasive."
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The Italian dancer, who has been part of the show since 2015, is being backed by the BBC and is expected to return to the show this autumn.
A source said: “Giovanni has a meeting with Strictly on Thursday about his return later this year.
“They have not received any official complaints and are backing him.
“He is an accomplished pro dancer and it’s expected he will be taking his place in the formal line-up when it’s announced later this month.”
