Strictly's Giovanni Pernice admits to sometimes feeling 'lonely' as a single man
Strictly Come Dancing star Giovanni Pernice has made a hugely relatable admission, sharing that he sometimes feels "lonely" as a single man.
The professional dancer, 32, has revealed the unfortunate reality of trying to find a true connection while dating, particularly as his life is so busy with his TV career.
Pernice made the confession during his new TV show, Anton and Giovanni's Adventures in Sicily, which sees the dance pro introduce his homeland to his friend and co-star Anton Du Beke, 56.
In the latest episode, the duo are seen exploring Mount Etna, with the Strictly star cooking a delicious meal halfway up the hike.
Over dinner Pernice opened up about his romantic life, admitting that he would love to find a long-term love and have a family of his own.
He also confessed that his life as a single man could sometimes feel lonely at times.
Read more: Professional cuddler hosts hug parties where strangers can snuggle in a group
"One day I will cook for my family," he told Du Beke, before the fellow dancing professional replied: "Once you get a family, you will be doing it all the time."
Pernice then went on to admit: "My mum always says to me, 'So, Giovanni, what's the situation?' because obviously every time I date a girl, I always tell her and say 'What do you think about this?'
"Bless her, she's seen so many passing by. But initially, she's like: 'Is she the one? You know, I want a baby before I pass way!' It's all the time, constantly, it's funny."
Read more: Expert reveals why middle-aged men are lonelier than ever
He continued: "Of course I'll have a family one day, you just have to find the right person first.
"Personally, I am just very focused on my career as you were at my age," he added. "It does get lonely sometimes, it's a tricky thing – there's a fine line between 'I want to be in a relationship' and '[I want to] be with somebody because you get lonely'."
Previously referencing his friend's love life, Du Beke, has outlined his hopes for Pernice's future relationships.
"I want Gio to find love like I have. He'll be a wonderful dad," he said.
"He's such a lovely boy. Any girl who ends up with him will be lucky.
"And when he has a girlfriend, he's very good with her. He's committed, loyal, lovely. Everything you'd want."
Watch: Sam Neill: Robin Williams was the loneliest man on a lonely planet
Pernice is rumoured to have dated a number of female celebrities including Love Island star Maura Higgins, Ashley Roberts, Georgia May Foote and Jess Wright.
Most recently he was linked with fellow Strictly pro dancer Jowita Przystal.
Recent figures suggest that Pernice is not the only one feeling lonely as a single man.
A study of 46,054 people in 237 countries, published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences, found that men are now more likely to be "lonely and single" than women.
Some experts believe part of the loneliness is simply down to men making up 63% of dating app users. So, if we're considering heterosexual relationships, which many surveys seem to do, there are more men than women dating and, therefore, less chances for males to find matches.
While Pernice is only in his 30s, one psychology professor claims male loneliness is more like to occur in middle-aged men, who are believed to be “lonelier than ever”.
Dr Robert Whitley, is a professor of psychology at McGill University and specialises in men’s mental health.
He believes that working overtime and increased divorce rates are to blame for the growing number of lonely men.
Read more: Men and depression: How to spot the signs and address it
“Your forties and fifties are the most common age for divorce and separation," Whitley says.
“When a couple is married, women are much more likely to maintain relationships with their friendship network and extended family, whereas men tend to rely on their spouse and immediate family for emotional support.
“As women are more commonly granted custody than men after a divorce, men often end up experiencing loneliness. A knock-on effect of divorce on male loneliness is that men can sometimes end up having to work harder to financially support two families.
“This can leave them with less time and money to go out and socialise with friends.”
Pernice isn't the only male celebrity to open up about feeling lonely. In an interview with Spanish GQ, Robert Pattinson admitted that there were also drawbacks to the trappings of his fame following the success of Twilight.
"People don't realise how lonely you are," he told GQ. "In any case, I feel fortunate because success didn't reach me very young, at least, I had the opportunity to have a life before."
