Giovanni Pernice mystery as Amanda Abbington deletes her account as it's revealed he's been axed from Strictly Come Dancing
Amanda Abbington has wiped her social media presence clean as Giovanni Pernice faces a shocking exit from Strictly Come Dancing.
The Sherlock star seems to have vanished from several online platforms, including Instagram and X (previously known as Twitter), coinciding with the day it was confirmed that Giovanni won't be returning for the 2024 series. The 33 year old dancer has faced allegations from several of his former partners over his behaviour, which he has denied.
Giovanni, who joined the BBC One dance extravaganza in 2015 and made it to the final with Corrie's Georgia May Foote, was noticeably absent from the recently announced professional line-up for 2024 amidst swirling rumours about his future on the show.
The champion of the Italian Championships, originally from Sicily, was last seen dancing with Amanda, who pulled out of the contest in 2023 for "personal reasons". He has previously denied any accusations of "abusive or threatening behaviour" and expressed his eagerness to "clear my name".
There are also whispers that Amanda had requested to see rehearsal footage from their time together. Reports suggest that a BBC probe is underway concerning Giovanni after three of his previous partners reportedly sought legal advice, reports the Mirror.
The broadcaster is reportedly in the midst of "evidence gathering", amid suggestions that "at least one or two more celebrities" might have approached lawyers regarding the matter.
In 2021, Giovanni Pernice was crowned the Strictly Come Dancing champion alongside EastEnders actress Rose Ayling-Ellis, who made history as the first deaf contestant to win. The line-up of professional dancers returning for the next series of the hit show, set to air later this year, has now been confirmed.
Beloved pros including Dianne Buswell, Nadiya Bychkova, Graziano Di Prima, Amy Dowden, Karen Hauer, Katya Jones, Neil Jones, Nikita Kuzmin, Gorka Marquez, Luba Mushtuk, Jowita Przystal, Johannes Radebe, Kai Widdrington, Nancy Xu, Carlos Gu, Lauren Oakley, Michelle Tsiakkas and Vito Coppola are all set to make a comeback.
Last month, the Italian dancer took to Instagram to "reject any suggestion of abusive or threatening behaviour" following allegations about his teaching methods. His post read: "To my dear fans, You will be as surprised as I am that allegations have been made about my dance teaching methods in the media this week. Of course, I reject any suggestion of abusive or threatening behaviour, and I look forward to clearing my name."
"Those who have followed my journey on Strictly Come Dancing over the last decade will know that I am passionate and competitive. No one is more ambitious for my dance partners than me. I have always striven to help them be the very best dancers they can be. This has always come from a place of love and wanting to win - for me and my dance partners. Thank you all once again for your continued love and support! Giovanni."
