BBC BACK under fire Giovanni Pernice after emergency meeting following new Amanda Abbingdon row
THE BBC has pledged to stand by Strictly dancer Giovanni Pernice despite bullying accusations mounting against him.
Bosses arranged a call between show execs and Giovanni’s management where they offered him their full support — and checked on his mental welfare.
Giovanni, 33, is understood to have been assured of his place on the Saturday night show.
News of the bosses’ backing comes after actress Amanda Abbington quit the series in October and demanded footage from training sessions.
She has allegedly told pals their tense relationship left her with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Last night an insider said: “It’s no secret Gio and Amanda had a tricksy relationship — but there are two sides to every story.
“Bosses arranged a call between his management and show execs to discuss recent coverage and make sure he was OK as obviously he’s faced a hell of a lot of stick over the past couple of months.
“The feeling is he is a tough taskmaster, but hasn’t bullied or abused anyone.
“The BBC see him as a key face of Strictly and will do all they can to support him.”
It has been a tumultuous few weeks for Sicilian Giovanni following a string of bullying accusations.
The pro, one of Strictly’s most successful dancers, has faced allegations that he clashed with previous partners, including Ranvir Singh and Faye Tozer, over his boot camp methods.
Amanda, 51, quit last year’s Strictly for “personal reasons.”
But The Sun on Sunday revealed she now wants to review recordings of their “tense” training sessions with a view to seeking legal advice.
A pal said: “Amanda has been left broken and saddened by the whole experience.
“She has needed therapy and was left in shock by the behaviour she was exposed to.”
But a source close to the show has defended Giovanni, saying Amanda may have lacked the commitment shown by many of the other celebs.
The source said: “Strictly is never an easy ride for the celebs.
“Training over eight hours a day in a very physical sport requires commitment and determination.
“Your heart has to be 100 per cent in the game.
“While Amanda said she was excited to be on the show, some felt her heart wasn’t really in it.
“With someone as driven as Giovanni that was always going to be a difficult fit.”
Former Love Island host Laura Whitmore claimed Giovanni left her “broken” when she appeared on the show in 2016.
The 38-year-old criticised the BBC for making her “spend 12 hours a day with this one person”.
Two years after her stint on Strictly, she told the Huffington Post: “I’m still not ready to talk in depth about my experience on the show.
“I was placed with a dance partner I was extremely uncomfortable with and in the end I felt broken, I cried every day. And I really was broken, both mentally and physically, by the end.”
The row intensified when it was claimed Laura had sent “abusive” texts to Giovanni after they were knocked out of the competition, blaming him for being “no good”, which she has since denied.
Good Morning Britain presenter Ranvir seemed to get along with Giovanni but also talked about having a meltdown in training and ghosted him on social media after the series in 2020.
Richie Anderson, who partnered him last year, has unfollowed him on social media as the row over Amanda deepened.
But Giovanni has remained close to Rose Ayling-Ellis, who lifted the Glitter Ball Trophy with him in 2021.
And last night another former partner, Debbie McGee, came out in support of Giovanni.
Debbie, 65, who was on the show in 2017, put a picture of them online and wrote: “Happy memories.
“Giovanni and I had the best of times on Strictly.”
The BBC has declined to carry out an official probe into Giovanni, despite calls for him to be sacked.
Yesterday sources said his determination to win is behind his strict teaching style.
An insider said: “Giovanni has a tattoo which reads “Nato per Vincere”, which is Italian for “Born to Win” and he takes the competition incredibly seriously.
“He is very popular among his fellow dancers but he’s a hard taskmaster in the training room and doesn’t take any prisoners.
“When he was growing up and having dance lessons he says it was rare for anyone to leave the studio not in tears.
“Despite the jazz hands, fake tan and sequins, the world of dance is extraordinarily cut-throat.
“Gio is the first to admit he’s a perfectionist and will put his partner through their paces until they get it right.
“For someone who hasn’t danced before that can be overwhelming and leads to tears in training but he’s there to teach them to dance and that’s what he wants to do.”
Giovanni, whose exes include actress Georgia May Foote, ex-Pussycat Doll Ashley Roberts and Love Island star Maura Higgins, started dancing at a young age.
When he was 14 he won a scholarship to train at a top dance school in Bologna.
It means he gets frustrated when a dance partner fails to show similar commitment.
The need for discipline from a young age could also mean a lack of empathy for struggling partners.
Amanda’s latest move means the row is far from over.
But with his supporters rallying round, and the BBC backing him, this is one dance-off Giovanni still has a chance of winning.