Professional dance star Giovanni Pernice hinted at a possible return to Strictly Come Dancing during a chat with Christine Lampard when he stated, “never say never”, despite the recent “bullying” scandal linked to Amanda Abbington.
On ITV’s Lorraine, Giovanni put forward his account of events after Sherlock actress Amanda Abbington had accused him of “bullying” and sometimes being aggressive.
Following Amanda’s serious charges, the BBC undertook an in-depth internal investigation. The inquiry concluded that while there were instances of verbal bullying and harassment, accusations of physical aggression did not hold up.
Wanting to set the record straight, the Italian dancing ace discussed his exoneration from claims made by Amanda, as she alleged he was at times “threatening and abusive”allegations which were ultimately deemed unfounded.
The BBC had previously declared in June that Giovanni, who has consistently graced the dance show since 2015, would be excluded from the 2024 series. Nevertheless, following his clearance from severe allegations, speculation mounts over whether he might make a comeback, reports the Mirror.
As the revealing interview came to a close, Christine queried the professional dancer one last time, asking: “Will we see you back on Strictly Come Dancing?”
In response, Giovanni, visibly shifting in his seat, expressed to Christine: “I think at the moment I am just very very focused on Dancing With the Stars Italy.”
He disclosed his future plans to return to England, hinting at a busy schedule but not dismissing potential opportunities. “I’ve got a tour coming up in January so I will definitely be coming back to the UK from January to July, who knows, never say never,” Giovanni shared.
In another part of the interview, Giovanni acknowledged feeling “frustrated” at times with Amanda, attributing it to his recognition of her “brilliant” abilities and his desire to help her reach her “full potential and talent”.
Giovanni vehemently denied any “aggressive” behaviour towards the actress and expressed relief that the channel’s complaints procedure and review had concluded.
Speaking with Christine, Giovanni addressed the allegations and clarified the findings of the review: “First of all the investigation didn’t find me to be a bully and that’s exactly why I feel relieved now and it’s important to put that straight because ‘bully’ is a big word.”
Lorraine is on ITV1 weekdays at 9am and on ITVX