Giovanni's pals on what he's really like - 'lonely teen and special friend'
Strictly Come Dancing professional Giovanni Pernice has gone from being a national treasure to being painted as a 'perfectionist' villain.
In recent days, questions have been raised about the star’s way of working following actress Amanda Abbington’s shock exit last season and subsequent reported request for videos of their training sessions. The 51-year-old quit citing ‘personal reasons’ and now claims to have PTSD from her experience in the BBC dancing competition.
It’s not the first time Giovanni’s training methods have been questioned, with reported clashes between some of his previous pairings, including Laura Whitmore, who said she cried every day. Defending the star, sources at the BBC say bosses are “puzzled” by Amanda's request.
A BBC source admitted to the Mirror that there have been occasional “moans” about Giovanni’s regime, however his behaviour hasn’t ever crossed a line to warrant any investigation. None of his previous celebrity partners have made an official complaint, they said, while the latest allegations are being deemed “excessive”.
Giovanni, a world-champ Latin dancer, joined the hit Saturday night show in 2015. He holds the record for the most number of perfect 10s, with a whopping 98 across eight series and in 2021 that he stole the nation’s hearts as he danced alongside the competition’s first deaf contestant, Rose Ayling-Ellis.
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As his partnerships come under scrutiny, we take a look at what friends say the star is really like behind closed doors, from his relationship with his family, his commitment to work getting in the way of his romances, and his close bonds with stars of the show...
Isolated upbringing
Giovanni was born in Sicily and was said to have been a cheeky child at school. He fell in love with dance after watching a competition show on TV and moved alone to Bologna at 14 to concentrate on his dance studies after winning a scholarship. It was a tough move for the youngster, and there were times he cried on the phone to his mother, who encouraged him to keep going.
Giovanni, with mum Rosalda and dad Piero, moved away from home at 14 (@pernicegiovann1/Twitter)And as he pursued a career in the ballroom, he had to come to terms with criticism of his masculinity. “There’s a kind of attitude that if you’re a dancer you’re not a proper man,” he previously said.
He became accustomed to being alone, missing family Christmasses and birthdays at home, but it meant he had no distractions tempting him away from his goals. “As a young man, I got used to being alone and having to deal with difficult emotions by myself,” he told The Guardian. "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. Preparation for those events took so much discipline," he added.
His dedication paid off. The dancer went on to travel the world competing for the top spot, and in 2012 he became Italian national champion with Erika Attisano.
In his Scillian jaunt alongside Strictly judge Anton Du Beke, which aired last year, viewers had an insight into his home life. It was revealed that the star hadn’t been home for his birthday for 10 years, and so his father organised a surprised 32nd bash. Commenting on his achievements, Pernice senior said: “You have given us moments of great joy, and when you won it was exceptional.” The star was taken aback by his father’s comments, as he revealed his dad “is not a person that gives away his feelings.”
Troubled love life
Giovanni has had a string of celebrity girlfriends - from finding love to Strictly partner Georgia May Foote to Pussycat Doll Ashley Roberts. But it’s apparent the workaholic’s schedule gets in the way.
Former Love Islander and ring girl Maura Higgins in 2021 called it quits after just four months together when Gio was paired with Rose Ayling-Ellis on Strictly.
Maura was said to be "absolutely devastated". "It's all over for now. Maura's absolutely devastated, it appears the Strictly curse has struck again," a source told "Pals are hoping that they can patch things up. But only time will tell whether Giovanni's got the time."
His relationship with Maura reportedly broke down due to his work commitments (Instagram)
Giovanni dated TOWIE star Jess Wright for six months in 2018 (Getty Images)It was later reported the dancer dumped the former ring girl as he feared she risked ruining his chances of winning . A source told "Giovanni is taking this really seriously. He’s got a great relationship with Rose. They are doing incredibly well and getting so much love.
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"Nobody understands what Strictly is like – it's such hard work. All your time is taken up and Maura wasn’t given any time by Giovanni. You’re not allowed many people in the studio and she wasn’t given an invite. The writing was on the wall."
Gio has previously explained: “When you’re in competition, it’s either you’re in a relationship with your partner, because you spend most of your time with your partner, literally 24/7. Or you’re just single and enjoy your time around when you can. It’s impossible sometimes, but that’s the reason why most of the dance couples are together, because it’s either this or nothing.”
In the Anton and Giovanni: Adventures in Sicily show, he revealed that his mother was always nagging him about when he would be making her a grandmother and insisted he does want to start a family “one day” but feels he has some growing up to do. He said on the show: “My mum always says to me, ‘so what is the situation?’ You know, because obviously, every time I date a girl I always tell her and ask ‘what do you think about this.’
“Bless her, she saw so many passing by and she asks ‘is she the one?’ and she says ‘You know I want a baby before I pass away’. Of course I want to have a family one day you know, I just have to find the right person first.
“I’m just very focused on my career as you were at my age. I always say it as a bit of a joke, but I mean it, when I grow up I want to be Anton Du Beke.” He also confessed to feeling lonely at times, adding: “There’s no one to share it with. It’s a tricky thing, a fine line. Sometimes you want to be free to be able to focus on your career.”
Giovanni famously fell out with his ex, former The Only Way Is Essex star Jess Wright, whom he dated for six months from November 2017 to April 2018. Although the split seemed amicable at the time, things kicked off at the Pride of Britain Awards later that year.
In video footage obtained by the Mirror, Jess was angrily heard telling Giovanni "You're full of s***!" and demanding to know why he had called time on their relationship - and even accused him of using her for fame.
She was overheard saying: "You broke my heart, you lied to me. I got in a cab and I never saw you again for six months... you used me... publicity, fame. No one who loves someone drops them, you're jealous of everything!" As several people tried to intervene, a furious Jess then continued: "We were together six months. You never cared about me. I want to know why you left me!"
After their very public spat, Giovanni claimed the decision to end the relationship was mutual and denied Jess' claims. In a chat with New magazine, he said: "That's what Essex people say. They're very dramatic, but by the end of the conversation, we were okay. It's fine. We know what happened between us and why we split up."
'Best friends' with Strictly judge Anton Du Beke and Strictly flatmate
In light of the Amanda Abbington allegations, it has been claimed that Giovanni's professional co-stars want an investigation and feel he shouldn't make a return to the series later this year.
A source close to Giovanni told “Gio finds some of these allegations deeply unfair and offensive. He has had support from producers over what has happened recently and they are behind him. A lot of the negativity seems to be born out of professional jealousy, especially among the other pro dancers because he went on to get his own TV show with Anton Du Beke."
It was indeed Anton, a favourite judge on the show by many, that he holidayed with for their own TV series, exploring the scenery food and culture as they reflected on their time together. When Giovanni was asked why he chose Anton to take with him to his hometown, he said: "I think - well, I know why him. It's because genuinely, he's one of my best if not my best friend. We've received so many messages about the show and the thing everybody says is that it's true friendship. It's not one of those things you have to put on for TV.
Anton travelled with his 'dear friend' Gio (BBC)
The pair are still close and are often spotted joking around on set (Instagram)"The whole concept of the show started when we did a theatre show together and we genuinely had a good time." Reflecting on how his relationship blossomed with Anton, who he sees as a godfather figure, he added: "When I arrived in this country eight years ago, he was the only person who really looked after me."
And the feeling is mutual, as Anton, who is a father to twins, called Gio a “dear friend” as he expressed his gratitude for being able to take part in the show. He said: "What a joy it is to be able to share this marvellously jovial jaunt with both Gio and all the wonderful viewers watching at home. Magnifico!"
He also commented: "I like to think the show is about the relationship between Giovanni and I and I'm thrilled about that because that's the most important really." Meanwhile, Gio has made another good friend from his time in the competition, with Kai Widdrington. The 28-year-old is currently loved up with Ukrainian ballroom star Nadiya Bychkova, and it is thought the pair live together.
However back when he started out on Strictly in 2021, Kai lived with Giovanni in London. Giovanni and Kai even spent Christmas together two years ago when Kai flew out to visit his close pal in Italy, and the pair remain close and Strictly co-stars. Speaking on BBC Breakfast at the time, Kai said: "I get to dance alongside my flatmate, what more could you want?"
Bond with Rose Ayling-Ellis
It was with Rose Ayling-Ellis that Gio lifted the Glitterball trophy. They wowed both the judges and viewers at home with their standout performances and made history, as Rose was the first deaf contestant.
Their incredibly close bond was apparent from the get-go, and they have maintained their special friendship even after their time together on air came to a close. He took his commitment to the show a step further as he became inspired to learn British Sign Language.
The partnership won over the nation (Giovanni Pernice Instagram)
Gio was committed to their partnership and started to learn BSL (giovannipernice/Instagram)Giovanni said: "I’m learning some BSL, a journey I started last year after being partnered with Rose, who is now a close friend." Unlike some of his criticism from ex-contestants, with Amanda reportedly saying she found his regime “militant”, Rose commended the professional for his teaching methods with her.
Rose previously told : "I started off finding dancing very confusing. It was a strange new skill. But Giovanni was so good. He listened and learnt a lot from me. We learnt very quickly that, if we were together, I could follow him."
When it came to arranging the choreography, he helped Rose with the steps by standing by her. The EastEnders star explained: "If he left me alone, it was much harder for me to be on time. He had to arrange the choreography so that I could see him all the time. That took time."
And describing their partnership, Rose summed it up as ‘a leap of faith’. Writing on Instagram, she said: “Trust is super important in dance and I’ve learnt that very quickly. I know Giovanni is always there to catch me and that's what makes him so good at what he does! Thank you for not dropping me Gio, I appreciate that." And after their win, she declared: "Our friendship is so special and lasting for sure."
The two friends have reunited publicly on a couple of occasions, including in 2022 when they came together to raise awareness of those suffering with mental health issues. Rose has also visited Gio in Sicily, where she met up with him and Anton on the BBC One travel show.
Strictly clashes
While Rose has nothing but praise for Gio, other celebrity partners look to have had different experiences with the Italian professional. Amanda Abbington was said to have struggled with the Italian's "aggressive training style and attitude" and "militant approach" however she then rubbished rumours of any fallout between the pair.
Amanda Abbington quit Strictly mid-series (BBC)In the season before in 2022, rumours swirled that Gio “didn’t click” with Richie Anderson. They struggled on the dance floor and were given the boot after just two weeks on the show. At the time, Giovanni was said to have become frustrated with Richie's reluctance to listen to him in rehearsals, whilst speculation heightened after the pair sat apart on an appearance on It Takes Two. Giovanni later said the rumours were "untrue", however, insisting there was "no problem".
Richie has since unfollowed the dancer on Instagram. Meanwhile, his former dance partner Laura Whitmore said she 'hated' having to spend time with him outside of the dance show when she was paired with him in 2016, but was 'forced to'. And RuPaul's Drag Race judge Michelle Visage is said to have claimed she was 'deeply unhappy' after a series of backstage rows in 2019. There were reports the pair had been "locking horns from the start".
One of the most intense dance partnerships of the 2020 series was when Giovanni was paired with Good Morning Britain presenter Ranvir Singh. There were rumours that Gio had charmed his dance partner off-screen once again - and Ranvir was recently single. In an interview with Entertainment Daily, he brutally said there was 'no way' he would date Ranvir, claiming they were "very, very good friends". Ranvir appeared to unfollow Giovanni after the show suggesting that maybe they weren't such great pals after all.
The Italian star is yet to address stories surrounding the ongoing issues he allegedly faced with Amanda. However, it has now been claimed that show bosses are “fearful” future celebrity contestants won't want to be partnered with Giovanni. It has also been reported that the BBC had a meeting with Giovanni about his conduct last year but no action was taken against him.
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