Giovanni Pernice may no longer be part of the professional line-up on Strictly Come Dancing, but he holds an impressive – albeit unusual – record on the dance floor. However, this weekend it will be shattered.
The 34-year-old Italian earned the title ‘King of Halloween’ as he consistently impressed the judges and fans of the BBC series during the annual themed extravaganza. As a result of his eerie excellence, he topped the leaderboard with his partners during the last weekend of October, according to Metro.
This significant event in the Strictly calendar is approaching this weekend, and with Giovanni no longer on the show, another professional dancer will claim his record.
The Halloween streak started in his first year in 2015 when Giovanni was paired with Coronation Street actress Georgia May Foote.
For his debut, he went traditional, performing a spine-chilling Tango to Ghostbusters by Ray Parker Jr, which scored a respectable 35. It featured patron backpacks and shooters adorned with silver glitter, reports the Express.
Demonstrating it wasn’t just beginner’s luck, he once again led the leaderboard the following year after a Tango with TV presenter Laura Whitmore. Their dramatic zombie-themed performance to Paint It Black by The Rolling Stones earned them a solid 36.
In the following year, Giovanni upped his costume game even further, dressing as Frankenstein with performer Debbie McGee as his bride. They scored an almost perfect 39 for a highly energetic Charleston to Sister Sledge’s Frankie.
His Theatre/Jazz routine, where he was dressed as a skeleton alongside singer Faye Tozer, was also just one point shy of the top score. The Steps singer’s chilling moves to Fever by Peggy Lee, which saw them slowly isolate their bodies and perform in perfect synchronisation, is a standout for Strictly fans. They brought it back in the final and managed to grab the perfect 40.
When Ru Paul’s Drag Race judge Michelle Visage was his partner, he took to the dance floor for a frightening Foxtrot to the Addams Family theme tune in 2020. Once again, it was a triumph and they also nailed 39 points.
The following year, Halloween Week was cancelled due to it being a shortened series because of Covid. After not getting to perform in his beloved special, Giovanni created a masterpiece that would enter the history books when it returned.
Returning to the Tango, where his winning streak began, he danced to Ed Sheeran’s Shivers with eventual winner Rose Ayling-Ellis.
Dressed as an ice queen, Rose sharply manoeuvred around the room and earned the elusive perfect 40. This was the earliest top marks had been awarded in Strictly history a record that still stands.
Not only that, it was the sixth time Giovanni was at the top of the Halloween leaderboard. The remarkable moment even prompted a personal message from Ed, who applauded their accomplishment.
In 2022, Giovanni didn’t take part in the Halloween week dance with his partner Richie Anderson as they had already been eliminated from the competition.
He once again missed the milestone in 2023, when his dance partner Amanda Abbington left Strictly before it came around. After her departure, Amanda levelled serious allegations about her treatment.
The BBC initiated an inquiry into Giovanni’s behaviour and the results were published last month. There were no findings of physical aggression, but complaints of verbal bullying and harassment were confirmed. The broadcaster extended an apology to the Sherlock actress.
The contest is now wide open for anyone to claim the Halloween week title, but will it be one of the current favourites to win the series?
The most recent odds favour comedian Chris McCausland and professional dancer Dianne Buswell to win, with Love Island star Tasha Ghouri and professional Aljaz Skorjanec trailing closely.
Strictly Come Dancing is on BBC One and BBC iPlayer