Giovanni Pernice's future on Strictly Come Dancing 'confirmed' after Amanda Abbington row
Strictly's Giovanni Pernice is set to return to the dance floor with a new celeb partner for the upcoming series, despite recent whispers about his past partnerships. The 33 year old pro dancer has been at the centre of much speculation after reports surfaced that his former dance partners Amanda Abbington, Ranvir Singh, and Laura Whitmore reportedly met up to exchange notes about their experiences with him.
But it looks as though all is well for Giovanni as the BBC has reportedly had a sit-down with the Italian hunk to chat about the next season and his role in it. A source spilled the tea to The Sun, saying: "Following a positive meeting with bosses last week and in light of the fact that no official complaints have gone in about him, despite noise over his training style, Gio is being welcomed back with open arms."
Meanwhile, a BBC spokesperson told Express.co.uk: "The professional dancers for 2024 will be announced in due course."
Back in March, there was buzz that Laura, 38, from season 14, joined forces with series 18's Ranvir, 46, and last year's star Amanda, 52, to discuss their experiences working with the Strictly professional.
A source said: "All three had difficult experiences with Giovanni, who is well known to be intense during training. They met in person to share their experiences."
"Their meeting was emotional but heart-warming. They now know they are there to support each other after their tough times with Giovanni. Tears were shed."
Sherlock star Amanda made a sudden exit from the last series of Strictly in October, citing "personal reasons" for her decision to leave. Subsequently, it was revealed that she had been diagnosed with mild Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Amanda reportedly asked to see footage of her and Giovanni's dance rehearsals, yet the BBC stated in January that there would be no investigation into Giovanni's conduct.
A spokesperson for the broadcaster told Express.co.uk: "There is a constant dialogue between the senior production team and contestants to ensure any concerns are addressed swiftly."
Former Love Island presenter Laura, who previously partnered with Giovanni in 2016, has also spoken out about her experience. On Jamie Laing's Private Parts podcast, she expressed discomfort with the intense focus on her partnership rather than the dancing itself.
"What I didn't like was being removed from everybody and having to spend 12 hours a day with this one person," she said, adding, "It did not become about the dancing. I just wanted to dance. I did not want to play the game of doing red carpets with your dance partner and stuff like that, which a lot of people thought you should be doing. I did not want to do that."
