Jonathan Goodwin has defended his fiancée Amanda Abbington after she produced a video saying that she is not transphobic in the aftermath of her Strictly Come Dancing revelation.
Earlier this week, the Sherlock and Mr. Selfridge actor was confirmed as the first celebrity to join the cast of the BBC show’s 2023 season.
Shortly after the announcement, she posted a message on Instagram in reaction to some show fans threatening to boycott the future season due to her involvement.
The 51-year-old, who is no longer on Twitter, previously expressed her displeasure with watching a 12-year-old perform in drag, stating she ‘didn’t think it was proper’ since the child was ‘doing something really oversexualised’.
Amanda stated in a subsequent video that she ‘loves’ drag and that she did not identify the child’s performance with the trans community, despite claims of transphobia.
‘I’m not transphobic, I’m not a transphobic person. I’m a firm supporter of the legitimate trans community, I always have been,’ she added.
The actress later replied to criticism of her usage of the term “legitimate trans” when a critic criticised the language for implying that trans persons should be obliged to “prove” their gender.
While some continued to question Amanda in the comments area of her Instagram video, others, including her fiancé Jonathan, indicated that they supported her beliefs.
The former stuntman, who appeared on Britain’s Got Talent and America’s Got Talent, commented underneath: ‘You are so beautiful x.’
The 43-year-old, who was crippled from the waist down when a stunt rehearsal for America’s Got Talent: Extreme went awry, announced his engagement to Amanda in 2021.
The couple were social media friends for a decade before meeting, with Jonathan proposing marriage to her after just 30 minutes when they came face to face.
Amanda was formerly married to Martin Freeman, with whom she had two children.
The actress was recently seen out in public for the first time since posting her video claiming she is transphobic, dressed casually as she went for a stroll.
Strictly Come Dancing returns later this year on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
