Newly introduced Strictly Come Dancing contestant Amanda Abbington has responded to threats to boycott the present over her earlier tweets, which have been criticised by some followers as transphobic.

The British actress, who’s finest recognized for TV reveals together with Sherlock and Mr Selfridge, was one of many first stars to be revealed for this yr’s Strictly, which will even function broadcaster Angela Rippon, journalist Krishnan Guru-Murthy, actor Layton Williams, comic Eddie Kadi, and TV presenter Angela Scanlon.

After Abbington’s identify was introduced for the hit BBC sequence, feedback she made a few present geared toward dad and mom and their infants aged from new child to 2 resurfaced on-line – with some critics of the star calling her transphobic.

In a prolonged video assertion posted on Instagram on Sunday, the 49-year-old clarified her stance.

“I need to make this very clear,” she mentioned. “I like drag. I believe it is an incredible type of leisure and I f****** love drag queens. I believe they’re hilarious and good… it is an artwork kind and I believe there’s completely a spot for it within the leisure business. My son performed Jamie in Everyone’s Talking About Jamie, and he was a beautiful drag queen.

“But my tweet back in March was regarding a 12-year-old who was doing it in front of adults. And it just upset me because I saw a kid, a little kid, a 12-year-old, doing something very over-sexualised. And I didn’t think it was right…

“And that was my tweet. I did not affiliate that with the trans neighborhood, nor would I affiliate that with the trans neighborhood, as a result of I believe they’re two separate issues. And I’m not transphobic… I’m a agency supporter of the authentic trans neighborhood.”

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Abbington went on to say she would “support any trans person who is feeling persecuted or not listened to or not seen” and that she additionally helps ladies’s rights and “the importance of women within society”.

She continued: “And I think those two are being really pitted against each other. And what we need to do now more than ever is just make sure that everybody is looking after each other… I don’t want everyone to be at each other’s throats.

“I do imagine that we have to take care of children and we have to take care of ladies and we have to take care of the authentic trans people who find themselves discovering it actually f****** troublesome in the intervening time.”

Abbington admitted that she had mentioned “stupid things” prior to now and “instantly” regretted them.

“Everybody’s learning and we need to take a breath and take a beat and look after each other,” she continued. “So I’m sorry if you feel like you need to boycott Strictly for a tweet I made about a drag show, but I don’t think 12 year olds should be doing overly sexualised drag acts.

“That’s my private opinion, that is all. I’m not pushing it on anybody else, I’m simply saying that is how I really feel.”

Abbington also addressed why she is no longer on Twitter (now X), saying she left voluntarily “as a result of I do not prefer it over there anymore”.

Strictly Come Dancing can be again on TV this autumn, judged by Shirley Ballas, Anton Du Beke, Craig Revel Horwood and Motsi Mabuse, with extra contestants set to be introduced.

British wildlife presenter Hamza Yassin {and professional} dancer Jowita Przystal have been the winners of the competitors in 2022.