Giovanni Pernice is said to be dealing with an 'agonising' wait to determine his future on
Strictly Come Dancing . Since joining the hit
BBC competition in 2015, the Italian professional dancer has garnered a reputation as a 'perfectionist', although how far he takes it has been up for debate in recent times, with reports claiming he has pushed some of his former celebrity partners to 'breaking point'. The BBC has stood by Giovanni and no official complaints have been submitted. He received criticism from Laura Whitmore in 2016, who said she was brought to tears on a daily basis. Michelle Visage, who danced with the Latin champ in 2019, revealed their rehearsals often ended in 'fiery' arguments, while rumours have swirled about his 'relentless regime' with other pairings including Faye Tozer. Others, however, including Debbie McGee and Rose Ayling-Ellis, have remained great
Friends with the pro. However since Amanda Abbington's shock exit last season, citing 'personal reasons', speculation about what it's really like to be partnered with Gio has been rife. According to sources, Amanda has connected with some of his former amateur partners to discuss his behaviour, while BBC bosses are said to be deciding whether or not to give Gio a celebrity match in the upcoming series. Amid the latest claim that a 'fourth star' was left in tears after working with him, The Mirror takes a look at everything that has been said about Giovanni's fateful spot on Strictly, including his blunt eight-word response regarding his fate on the show... Giovanni Pernice in BBC Strictly Come Dancing future crunch talks ‘as 4th star in tears over training’ Amanda's shock exit Giovanni's most recent partnership came to a dramatic end on Monday, October 24 when it was announced live on Strictly: It Takes Two that the
Actress wasn't returning to the contest after pulling out of the weekend's show. He and the Sherlock star had been partnered together for the 2023 series, but it wasn't long before their professional relationship was hit with rumours of tension and strife. One source claimed Amanda had been left shaken by Gio's "militant and aggressive" training style and had wanted to pull out of the competition even before the first live show. "Giovanni is a hard taskmaster and takes the competition very, very seriously," they said. "Amanda was really looking forward to dancing with him, but has found his aggressive training style and attitude pretty difficult to handle. He is quite militant in his approach to training. She’s been left very shaken, and has liaised with her team about quitting." Amanda Abbington quit dramatically despite doing well in the competition ( Image: PA) The pair got through the first four weeks but Amanda pulled out of the week five show due to "medical issues". Less than 48 hours later, Fleur East revealed she had dramatically quit the series, and Amanda later broke her silence to reveal it was due to "personal reasons" - and later said she had been diagnosed with PTSD. "It is with deepest regret that I had to leave Strictly. I did not come to this decision easily or lightly but for personal reasons I am unable to continue," she wrote on
Instagram . "It was an absolute joy working with my fellow contestants, they are a beautiful, hardworking and talented group of people who I love and who I will miss seeing every Friday and Saturday and competing alongside. "I want to thank the incredible Production team and everyone on Strictly who looked after me and who are so kind and caring. It’s a wonderful bunch of people and I’ll miss all of them," she added. "I’m so sad that I am unable to go any further. Thank you to everyone who voted and who sent wonderful messages and inspiring support. You are all amazing. Truly. Thank you. xxx." Notably, there was no mention of Giovanni in her statement, although he paid tribute to her on his own Instagram. Sharing a backstage snap of them cuddling up together, the Italian dancer wrote: "Amanda .. I am so sad we can’t continue but I am proud of what we achieved and I am sending you so much love @amanda_abbington74 @bbcstrictly ." In recent times, it has been claimed the 52-year-old is lining up a 'big name lawyer' to retrieve her rehearsal tapes from her time on the show, in rumours which have stunned Strictly viewers. The Sicilian-born star, who has been backed by the BBC in the row surrounding Amanda, insists that he only ever acted in the actress' best interests. Speaking on The Mirror's Invite Only podcast , alongside best friend and Strictly judge Anton Du Beke , he admitted: “I am a perfectionist, 100%, but it comes from a perspective of caring. I think all of the professional dancers are in the same place. "In every single part of the world , if you’re a professional dancer on one of these shows, you have to get these people looking the best they can on Saturday night. And if we have good scores at the end, I do look back and say, ‘I’ve done a great job’. "But we all care about our partners and we want that for them every single week – to look great on a Saturday. There’s no specific way that you are, or have to be with your celebrity. You make the most of their strengths so the only thing that’s constant is the fact that you have to do a show on Saturday night." Anton added: "I thought you and Amanda were marvellous. I thought you were terrific." 'Secret meeting' The Sun has reported that Amanda is lining up lawyer Persephone Bridgman Baker for help to prepare a legal letter to the BBC as she looks to secure the footage of her rehearsals with the Strictly pro. The actress reportedly has met with some of his former celeb partners, including Ranvir Singh and Laura Whitmore, to discuss their 'difficult' experiences working with him, which is said to have led to "tears being shed". Reports claim Ranvir met with Amanda to discuss Giovanni's work ethic ( Image: BBC) A source, who was described as being close to Amanda, Ranvir and Laura, told MailOnline that they're "unhappy' at the way the broadcaster is standing by the dancer despite concerns about his methods. The source said: "They are very unhappy with the way the BBC are handling this. "It's one thing saying they are standing by him, but they feel as if Giovanni is being promoted and pushed centre stage in a bid to make them go away and keep quiet. It's a kick in the teeth. All three have been impacted in different ways by what happened and they've agreed to speak again about how best they can get something done about it because they are genuinely worried about want went on and the fact someone else could end up experiencing what they went through. "But right now there's a feeling that Gio is pretty much untouchable - especially given he is so close to Anton who thinks the world of him and can't believe the stuff he's been hearing claimed about his mate." BBC backing According to the new report, it seems like the negative publicity about the dancer hasn't gone unnoticed, as bosses seek to protect him from further negativity. While not addressing the concerns, the BBC has showed its continuing support of the professional dancer by commissioning and promoting his new travel show with Anton du Beke. Sharing a video of the pair talking about their upcoming programme, the caption read: "Dancing, singing, Anton and Giovanni know how to perform! But what happened in Benidorm… stays in Benidorm. Head to @bbcpressoffice link in bio and hit Interviews to get all the behind-the-scenes stories - and find out which star joined them on their Adventures in Spain! Watch Anton & Giovanni's Adventures in
Spain on and BBC One from Monday 18 March at 9pm." Giovanni's training techniques have been thrown under question ( Image: BBC/Guy Levy) It has been reported that Faye Tozer struggled to work with Giovanni ( Image: Brett D. Cove / SplashNews.com) Speaking to The Sun , a source claimed that bosses of the show are still working out whether or not to give Gio a partner ahead of the 2024 series. They said: "'Bosses are undecided about whether or not they will give Gio a partner, just to take the heat off him. He’s still very much loved by all the head honchos. "But the big cheeses are wondering if it might be tough to find him a partner, given the reports about his harsh teaching style and the fact anyone who’s paired with him next will have to answer questions about his behaviour. The spotlight will be on them from day one, which is a lot to take as well as the pressure of the show. Unless they can find someone who specifically asks for him, it could be tricky." Another source said the star was reportedly having a meeting with bosses on Thursday. "They have not received any official complaints and are backing him," the source added. "He is an accomplished pro dancer and it’s expected he will be taking his place in the formal line-up when it’s announced later this month.” The professional dancer is believed to be waiting to hear his fate while the show's boss is currently on maternity leave. It is not yet known if the Italian star will be back on the dancefloor after he was forced to quit last year's show early. It appears plans to unveil the line-up of professional dancers for the upcoming series have been delayed. Plans are said to be up in the air as Strictly's main boss is on maternity leave and "no decisions would be made without her," it has been claimed. An insider also told Daily Mail: "For Giovanni, it means he has to wait to see his fate." They added the BBC have "back him" and added: "But he hasn’t put pen to paper yet. Giovanni, of course, wants to return. Why wouldn’t he?" A BBC spokesperson neither confirmed nor denied the claims, telling the Mirror : “The professional dancers for 2024 will be announced in due course.” Defiant message Giovanni Pernice reveals unique motto tattooed on wrist as he appears to hit back at Strictly feuds Last week, Giovanni revealed to fans he had a defiant motto permanently inked onto his forearm, which he showed best pal and Strictly judge Anton du Beke, 47, during their BBC travel show in Spain. Lying on a sun lounger, sporting a straw hat and a linen shirt, Giovanni rolled up his sleeve and pointed to the three words 'Never Give Up'. He said: "That is my life motto. Never give up." The episode and his new tattoo reveal came amid weeks of speculation on whether he is set to return to the primetime show for this year's 2024 line-up. While out on a night out with his showbiz pals in
London on Tuesday, he was asked by a snapper if he would be back with the Strictly gang in September. He simply replied: "As if I'm going to tell you that." Successful solo tour Despite the ongoing drama, Gio has been celebrating the fact he is enjoying a successful live tour - titled Let Me Entertain You. The dance show is taking Giovanni across the
UK where he is dancing and performing for fans - and on Saturday night, Ipswich in East Anglia had the delight of having the star in town to perform. He took to
Social Media to show off the fact that his show had sold out - and the theatre he performed in was packed. Taking to Instagram Stories, he shared a short clip of himself walking onto the stage while there was silence all around. He jokingly said: “So we are in Ipswich tonight. It’s one of my favourite places in the entire world . I have to be honest. Everything in Ipswich works better. But unfortunately tonight, nobody came to watch the show.” The lights in the theatre then went up, showing a sold-out crowd of thrilled fans who all started screaming and cheering. Giovanni then declared: “Ipswich what do we like to say? Thank you! Thank you. I love you.” He then shared another clip showing him standing at the front of the stage while the sold out audience cheered and chanted his name. He added a caption to the clip, writing: “When thousands screaming my name, only one feeling: GRATEFUL! I love you.” The Mirror has contacted reps for Giovanni and Amanda for comment. Boots slash price of beauty Easter egg which means you get 10 products for £8