It was a second Giovanni Pernice wasn’t certain would ever occur once more. With a brand new dance companion at his facet, this week he returned to the rehearsal room, making ready to compete for an additional glitterball trophy.
However there’s one key change. This yr Giovanni’s coaching will happen in Rome – the place the ballroom star is on the brink of seem within the Italian model of the present, Ballando con le Stelle (Dancing With The Stars) – after some on the BBC spoke extremely of him to the programme’s European producers.
It will likely be Giovanni’s tenth Strictly – however his first outdoors his adopted dwelling of Britain. Giovanni, say mates, is ‘past joyful’ and there is a distinct feeling that is payback time for the dancer, after Amanda Abbington – his companion within the collection final yr – made incendiary claims that he bullied her whereas they had been coaching collectively.
One in all his mates tells me: ‘I assume you may have a look at it as a form of candy revenge. He was adored by Strictly viewers, but he has gone because of Amanda’s claims – however, in his thoughts, it’s all Italy’s acquire.’
Amanda Abbington made incendiary claims that Giovanni Pernice bullied her throughout coaching
Amanda instructed famously combative legal professionals Carter Ruck to symbolize her and formally complained in April, main the Beeb to launch an investigation.
Giovanni stop – however not earlier than hiring Schillings as his authorized agency.
And whereas Strictly’s twentieth anniversary collection begins on BBC1 tonight, the end result of the company’s inquiry stays pending. It has been a tumultuous time, then, for the Sicilian-born star. However, say mates, he is discovering happiness once more – on the dancefloor.
His companion within the Italian present is beautiful 43-year-old singer and actress Bianca Guaccero – who posted an image of the pair in coaching on her Instagram account to the backing music of Soiled Dancing’s (I’ve Had) The Time of My Life, writing alongside the snap: ‘The beginnin.'[sic]
‘Gio is having a good time,’ says a pal of the star. ‘He’s so joyful, it’s his method of transferring on from the entire sorry state of affairs.
‘He’s so excited that he can carry on dancing and what makes it all of the extra beautiful is that will probably be in his dwelling nation. [The past few months have been] completely horrendous for Gio. He has been caught in limbo. This can be a stunning enhance for him.’
Sources near Giovanni, 34, say he’s ‘actually hoping’ to win the collection – the final word response, he believes, to the claims levelled at him by former Sherlock actress Amanda.
‘Gio is so happy that he has been in a position to get again to doing his factor, it is testomony to his power of character. He may have buckled at any second however he carried on and now he actually desires to win.
‘He’s decided he and Bianca will do their finest and they’re getting alongside nice in coaching.’
This yr Giovanni’s coaching will happen in Rome, the place the ballroom star is on the brink of seem within the Italian model of the present, Ballando con le Stelle (Dancing With The Stars)
His companion within the Italian present is beautiful 43-year-old singer and actress Bianca Guaccero
Giovanni’s mates say it wasn’t simple for him to quickstep again right into a rehearsal room. The final time he did so it ended with Amanda, 52, accusing him of being ‘abusive, merciless and imply’, which he denies.
She additionally accused him of bruising her foot, and in an interview with Channel 4 Information in July, Amanda in contrast Strictly to ‘the trenches’ and suffered ‘humiliating behaviour of a sexual nature’ – which Giovanni additionally says is unfaithful.
None of its earlier 21 collection has begun underneath a cloud like this.
So what has occurred to the BBC report into Amanda’s accusations? The investigation started in April however sources say the delay, is partially pushed by BBC chiefs fearing that – no matter its conclusion – it is going to show to be a poisonous second for the Company.
If Giovanni is exonerated they fear it is going to seem as if they don’t seem to be believing a lady.
But when Amanda’s complaints are upheld, Giovanni may try and sue the BBC for failing in its obligation of care in direction of him as a result of superstar contestants didn’t endure psychological analysis earlier than competing as is commonplace on different actuality reveals.
There had been an expectation the BBC would inform the pair of the results of their investigation earlier than the brand new collection started.
The perfect second would have been earlier than publicity for the brand new collection started in the summertime. Now the Strictly group face the worst attainable end result: that each one anybody will discuss throughout this collection is the investigation.
If the decision is delivered – and it ought to occur throughout the collection which finishes per week earlier than Christmas – it is going to grow to be your entire focus of the present present.
‘It is a nightmare for the BBC,’ stated an insider who works there.
‘Individuals maintain saying will probably be on this present day or that. The reality is no person is aware of. There may be each probability they may determine to bury the decision till subsequent yr which is much from perfect for both facet.’
Since publicising her grievances, Amanda has apparently been contacting former contestants to see if they may come ahead, too.
The Sicilian-born dancer and his superstar companion, actress Amanda Abbington, within the final collection of Strictly Come Dancing
A number of have: desk tennis participant Will Bayley claimed a leap he was making an attempt to excellent for the 2019 collection was branded ‘garbage’ in rehearsals by his professional companion Janette Manrara. He says he severely harm his leg whereas making an attempt to do it higher. The Paralympian stated he was inspired to leap from a desk regardless of his issues and people of his coach. In the meantime, Laura Whitmore, Giovanni’s 2016 companion, stated final month that issues she tried to speak about throughout her time on the present eight years in the past are ‘all popping out now’.
She stated she had been ‘gaslit to make it appear normalised’.
It is putting that this yr the present’s producers struggled to entice feminine rivals, securing solely six – they usually do not look like family names like Annabel Croft and Angela Rippon who took half final yr.
As an alternative celebrities akin to Tasha Ghouri from ITV2’s actuality present Love Island have signed up, plus former The Solely Approach is Essex star Pete Wicks and JB Gill, who sang within the now defunct pop band JLS. Large names are restricted to former England footballer Paul Merson, DIY SOS host Nick Knowles and singer Toyah Willcox.
‘We do not anticipate such excessive viewing figures this yr,’ admitted one worker.
Just like the British Strictly, the Italian model airs as soon as per week, and begins reside reveals per week after our model. It is filmed in a much more glamorous location than Elstree studios in Hertfordshire – it is set in an impressive nineteenth century theatre on the Foro Italico complicated in Rome.
For Giovanni, issues presently look as sunny because the Roman skies above his coaching studio.
Bianca is a family identify in Italy with thousands and thousands of followers. She additionally seems to be single after her divorce from movie director Dario Acocella, with whom she has a daughter, Alice. She and Giovanni appear to get on famously.
A pal of Giovanni’s stated ‘he’s thrilled with this companion and they’re tipped to do properly’.
It does appear, although, that Giovanni’s return was a close-run factor. Solely final month it was feared the Italian present wouldn’t signal him till the BBC inquiry was over. It is understood some inside the BBC spoke up for Giovanni to say he was not a bully, fairly ‘merely somebody who desires to win.’
His Italian job will imply spending time away from his dwelling in West London this autumn. ‘The change of surroundings will do him the world of fine,’ says one pal. It seems like he’s beginning one thing new however nonetheless doing what he loves.
‘If Amanda thought she was going to destroy him, she was fallacious.’
