Giovanni Pernice: The Strictly star and Amanda Abbington’s dance partner at the heart of a storm

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Over the weekend, there was a surprising improvement to a story that had been effervescent away in the background for months. It was reported that Sherlock star Amanda Abbington, Good Morning Britain host Ranvir Singh, and former Love Island presenter Laura Whitmore had met for a “tearful summit” about their respective “difficult experiences” working with StrictlyCome Dancing professional Giovanni Pernice.

A supply, who alleged that Pernice is “well known to be intense during training”, advised The Sun: “They met in person to share their experiences. Their meeting was emotional but heartwarming. They now know they are there to support each other after their tough times with Giovanni. Tears were shed. There is every possibility all three could take it further and formally complain to the BBC, but for now they’re comforting each other.” Pernice, Singh, Whitmore and the BBC have thus far declined to remark.

The 33-year-old Sicilian, who has been one of Strictly’s cohort of skilled dancers since 2015, had simply defended himself on a podcast, following months of stories about a feud with Abbington, who was paired up with Pernice on Strictly final yr. Abbington stop the present in October, simply 5 weeks into the 2023 sequence, citing “medical reasons” at the time. In her first Instagram put up after leaving, she didn’t point out or thank Pernice at all, and the hearsay mill started to show.

Three months later, in January, stories broke that Abbington was searching for authorized recommendation and had requested video recordings of her follow periods with Pernice. The following week, Abbington said that she had been recognized with “mild PTSD” after participating in the present.

Speaking on The Mirror’s Invite Only podcast on Saturday, Pernice stated: “It was a shame that [Abbington] had to leave for medical reasons because I think, in my opinion, we could have gone all the way.”

The suave professional – who holds the Guinness World Record for Jive kicks and flicks, performing 55 in 30 seconds – has gone all the manner earlier than. He received the competitors in 2021 with Rose Ayling-Ellis, and has been a finalist 5 instances throughout his 9 years on the present. Pernice stated his repute as a “perfectionist” comes from “caring” about the superstar he’s partnered with, including: “In every single part of the world, if [you’re] a professional dancer, we have to get these people on the Saturday night looking the best as they can. And if we get to have good scores at the end, I look back and say, ‘I’ve done a great job.’”

Even earlier than the “tearful summit”, we knew that Abbington wasn’t the first one that appeared to have been on the sharp finish of Pernice’s perfectionism. There haven’t been any particular particulars of allegations regarding his behaviour, however it’s been publicly alluded to earlier than, with Whitmore, who was paired up with Pernice for the 2016 sequence, beforehand writing of her time on Strictly: “I was placed with a dance partner I was extremely uncomfortable with – and in the end I felt broken, I cried every day. And I really was broken, both mentally and physically, by the end.”

The Irish presenter was Pernice’s second ever superstar pairing on Strictly. His first partner was Corrie’s Georgia May Foote in 2015 – together with his arrival on the present marking the first time he’d ever been to London. He has since spoken about how, as a result of he didn’t communicate English when he joined and “couldn’t understand anything”, he filmed the first season with a translator in his ear.

Born in Palermo, Sicily, in 1990, Pernice left his house aged 14, shifting to Bologna to stay alone and chase his ambitions of turning into a skilled dancer. He skilled at a prime college in the Italian metropolis, specialising in Latin dance. “I was properly living on my own and I really had to grow up quickly,” he wrote in The Times.

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He has talked a lot about the problem of being alone a lot when he was younger, telling The Guardian: “It begins to feed itself – this lifestyle of being on your own can push you towards a more focused mindset. There are no distractions. Then came the experience of winning – something I became addicted to. The first time I won a competition, I thought: ‘Being the champion feels nice. Let me have more of it!’”

After leaving college, he went on to turn out to be an award-winning performer, together with his greatest accolade being the prime prize for the Italian Open Championship in 2012. Three years later, his Strictly journey started, and he now holds the file for many 10s ever awarded on the present, with a complete of 98. His win with Strictly’s first ever deaf contestant, EastEnders actor Rose Ayling-Ellis, was historic. She stated she beloved dancing with him as a result of, as an Italian, he’s “very direct”: “When they talk, they don’t waffle or use metaphors, because that’s just confusing for deaf people.” The duo went on to win a Bafta TV award for his or her spectacular silent dance, universally celebrated as one of the strongest, boundary-breaking moments in the present’s 20-year historical past.

Pernice has described himself as a “workaholic”, writing in The Times: “I’m such a workaholic, I don’t really do holidays. I’ve never been on a mates’ break.” And he’s actually a perfectionist. He has opened up earlier than, on Spencer Matthews’ Big Fish podcast, about discovering it laborious to stability romance together with his profession. “It’s impossible sometimes,” he stated, “but that’s the reason why most of the dance couples are together, because it’s either this or nothing.” He added that dancing places a “lot of pressure” on his potential to have a “normal” relationship, however insisted: “I do believe that behind a big man there is an even bigger woman, which means that if a woman understands what I want and what I want to achieve then she will be the right one.” In latest years, Pernice has had relationships with Love Island‘s Maura Higgins, Pussycat Doll Ashley Roberts, his former Strictly partner Georgia May Foote and fellow pro Jowita Przystal.

Speaking to The Guardian about how disciplined he has had to be in his career, he said: “The journey getting to where I am today took hard work and a lot of sacrifices, but it was worth it. From those teenage years onwards, I had competitions every week.” He’s been so set on coaching that he’s missed quite a few Christmases and birthdays over the years.

Pernice’s work ethic apart, Strictly followers know the dancer as a dapper, unflappable presence. Debbie McGee loved being paired with him in 2017 – in January she supported him by posting on Instagram that that they had had the “best of times” collectively.

After the torrid headlines although, it’s odd to see him on a jolly with fellow Strictly professional Anton du Beke of their new BBC journey present Adventures in Spain. It’s awkward timing for the BBC, however the company was selling the sequence – by which we see Pernice endure from vertigo on the Caminito del Rey and partaking in banter with du Beke – closely on its socials on Monday.

What actually occurs between Pernice and his superstar companions in rehearsals? Is he too robust? Or merely direct? Whatever the reply, this story isn’t over but.