Strictly Come Dancing's Giovanni Pernice has eyes for one contestant already

29 August 2023 , 10:03

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Strictly Come Dancing's Giovanni Pernice has eyes for one contestant already

Giovanni Pernice has his eyes on the Glitterball Trophy and wants to win Strictly Come Dancing for a second time - and he thinks Zara McDermott is the key to his success.

The 32-year-old Italian dance professional waltzed to victory in 2021 when he was paired with EastEnders actress Rose Ayling-Ellis. With a taste for success, reports suggest Giovanni is convinced that being partnered with 26-year-old former Love Island contestant Zara will mean his second victory will be in the bag.

Fans and social media users will already be aware that Zara has shown off her dance skills on Instagram and TikTok. While the reality star has a likability factor as she is more of a civilian than a celebrity thanks to her background as a Love Island star.

Sources close to Giovanni say he is desperate to be paired with her so he can win the 2023 competition. But it is unclear if he will be partnered with the reality star - as the pairing ceremony for the upcoming season is yet to be revealed.

Giovanni Pernice has singled out his favourite for the 2023 season of Strictly Come Dancing (Getty Images for Zumba)

Zara McDermott is already favourite to win Strictly 2023 and the season hasn't even officially started yet (Getty Images)

A source told Closer magazine: “Giovanni’s really excited about this year’s line-up, and naturally, like many of the pros, he’s keen to win. Many of them are hoping to be paired up with Zara, who is one of the early favourites.

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“She’s really into her fitness so will be able to handle the gruelling schedule and, as fans can already see from her social media, she can dance. He’d love to win the show a second time, and he reckons Zara could be a good bet.”

Indeed, Zara and EastEnders actor Bobby Brazier - the 20-year-old son of late Big Bother contestant Jade Goody, who died aged 27 in 2009, and 44-year-old Shipwrecked star Jeff Brazier - are the favourites to win the show this year. Reports earlier this month suggested the pros are falling over each other as they try to influence show bosses over star pairings.

Giovanni won in 2021 alongside Rose Ayling-Ellis (BBC/Guy Levy)

Bobby Brazier is also favourite to win the 2023 series (Anthony Harvey/REX/Shutterstock for NTA)

A source previously told The Sun: "All the dancers want to be paired with them because they both have serious potential on the dance floor.

“There’s a battle going on between the pros as they all try to convince bosses to get the best pairing. They know their airtime is largely dependent on how talented their celebrity pairing is, so everything is to play for at this stage.”

Meanwhile, other fans think Neil Jones has already bagged Zara as his dance partner after he made a cheeky quip to her Made In Chelsea star boyfriend, Sam Thompson. As Strictly is famously affected by a ‘curse’ that sees dance professional and celebrities embark on affairs together, Neil appeared to try to put Sam at ease, responding to a social media post he shared by writing: "Don't worry @samthompsonuk you are definitely safe with me."

Mirror.co.uk