Former Strictly Come Dancing professional Giovanni Pernice has made a veiled “real people” remark following the controversy that led to his departure from the show. Giovanni, who is set to appear on Channel 4’s Celebrity Hunted tonight, left the BBC programme amid “numerous serious complaints” about his conduct while training his celebrity dance partners.
He has refuted all accusations levelled against him. The 34 year old Sicilian adopted a defiant stance as he discussed his exit from Strictly on James Phelan’s How To Be Famous podcast.
He stated: “I’m not going anywhere, I’m not giving up, I’m just taking a rest,” and added that his recent tribulations revealed who truly supported him, saying: “It’s been a year and you understand who the real people close to you are.”
He expressed gratitude for the loyalty of a few genuine friends and the backing of his fans. “The audience …realistically I’m not very close to them, but even a small message or a like on my post on social media or something – it it just will give you the strength to go forward which is is great,” Giovanni said.
In an earlier interview, he labelled former dance partner Amanda Abbington’s complaints against him as “an attempt to destroy me”. Giovanni confessed he “wanted to punch the television” when he heard the Sherlock actress tell Channel 4 news that the allegations against him were of a “sexual nature”, reports the Express.
While the BBC concluded “some, but not all” of Amanda’s allegations were true, her specific accusation could not be confirmed by the investigators. Giovanni shared his concerns: “It was the first time there was talk of anything sexual. Of course, I was worried it could destroy my career – the people that come to my shows are kids and women.”
He expressed how he felt misunderstood: “I was painted as a person I am not. It seemed like the only point was to destroy me.”
To manage the stress, he emphasised the importance of support: “you have to surround yourself with people that really care about you, genuinely care about you”.
He highlighted the significance of camaraderie: “That is the most important thing.”
He appreciated the unyielding support from “true friends” like fellow Strictly icon Anton Du Beke. “I was lucky to be on stage with my own show having the audience giving a good response every night, and then I went on tour with Anton again – with my best friend having a laugh and a joke,” Giovanni remarked.
Following his exit from Strictly in the UK, Giovanni found success in Italy’s version, Ballando con le Stelle, pairing up with actress Bianca Guaccero and claiming victory in December 2024.
It has been revealed that Giovanni and the 43 year old actress are now a couple.