Giovanni Pernice ‘quits’ BBC Strictly Come Dancing after Amanda Abbington claims

Rumors are rife tonight that Strictly Come Dancing favorite Giovanni Pernice has decided to quit the popular BBC show.

Unconfirmed reports suggest the Italian champion dancer has opted to leave the show despite ongoing talks for another series. The Mirror reported that the BBC was “very keen” to continue their relationship with the 33-year-old, who has faced accusations about his intense training methods from previous celebrity partners including Sherlock actress Amanda Abbington.

Interestingly, an internal memo listing this year’s professional dancers for the show was circulated without Giovanni’s name on it. Now he is reportedly looking for a fresh start in other TV shows. In response to these rumours, the BBC released a statement regarding Giovanni’s future.

This surprising decision comes after tensions between the dancer and actress Amanda, who was his celebrity partner last year. The 52-year-old actress left the competition in October following a series of disputes that led to her downfall due to Giovanni’s rigorous training regime.

Amanda later revealed that she was diagnosed with mild post-traumatic stress disorder after her time on the show. Allegations of other celebrity partners have since come to light.

“Gio feels the control over him has become too much and now is the time to make a fresh start,” a source revealed of Giovanni’s exit tonight. “He wants to focus on other TV projects and feels he has achieved all he can on Strictly, having won the trophy in 2021 and reached the final an unprecedented four times.”

A BBC spokesman confirmed tonight: “Professional dancers for Strictly Come Dancing 2024 will be announced in due course.”

Giovanni’s last Strictly bow is understood to have been alongside his 2023 celebrity partner Amanda last year. Reports suggest there were tensions between them during training sessions and off-camera while the Sherlock star was competing.

Earlier this year, there were claims that Amanda had requested backstage footage of her rehearsals with Giovanni from the BBC, potentially as part of the basis for future legal proceedings.

Amanda Abbington has pulled out of the dance competition citing “medical reasons”, but whispers suggest the Sherlock actress may be seeking legal advice after suffering post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from her time on the show, which some i think it could. indicates Giovanni’s intense training style.

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The BBC is said to have thrown its full support behind Giovanni, rejecting any need for an investigation. “The feeling is that he is a tough director but he has not bullied or abused anyone. The BBC sees him as a key face of Strictly and will do everything possible to support him,” a source told The Mirror earlier this year.

Giovanni Pernice shared his thoughts on his partnership with Amanda on Strictly for the first time in an interview in March. Looking back on her sudden exit from the show, he commented: “It’s a shame because in my opinion it could have gone all the way.”

At 52, Amanda Abbington, famous for her role in Sherlock, teamed up with Giovanni in the latest season of the BBC dancing competition. But after just five weeks, she left for “medical reasons” and later revealed she was suffering from post-strict PTSD. Despite the ensuing drama, Giovanni, who has enjoyed strong support from the BBC, insists Amanda’s welfare has always been his main concern.

In an exclusive with our Invite Only podcast, with his close friend and strict judge Anton Du Beke, Giovanni was not shy about admitting his quest for perfection. “I’m a perfectionist, 100 percent, but it comes from a caring perspective. I think all professional dancers are in the same place. In every part of the world, if you are a professional dancer on one of these. shows, you have to make these people look their best on Saturday night.”

“And if we have good scores at the end, I look back and say, ‘We did a great job.’ But we all care about our partners and want them to look great on a Saturday every week. There is no specific way you are or should be with your celebrity. You make the most of their strengths, so the only constant is that you have to put on a show on Saturday.

To this, Anton added: “I thought you and Amanda were amazing. I thought you were great. I remember a few years ago, Kelvin Fletcher came in and danced in week one and he was amazing.”

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