‘I might have wanted to strangle him’ says Giovanni Pernice’s ex Strictly partner – the 6th star to speak out about him
GIOVANNI Pernice’s Strictly Come Dancing partner shared a candid glimpse of his training style as she joked she “might have wanted to strangle him” during their time on the show.
The singer revealed the tough Italian, who tellingly does not follow her on Instagram, would bellow “again, again, again” at her as he pursued perfection on the dance floor.
They were teamed up during the 2022 Strictly Christmas special, and were one of six couples to compete that year.
Despite having prior dance experience, as a member of chart topping band Girls Aloud, Nicola Roberts admitted she struggled to pick up the steps which irritated Giovanni, 33.
Nicola, 38, said at the time: “My process is quite slow.
“When you’re in a band you have weeks to perfect a two hour show, so there’ll be certain numbers that you pick up quickly or the numbers that might take a good couple of weeks to really sink in, and that’s my process, that’s how I’ve learned over the years.
“I was beating myself up and not understanding the routine, not grasping the technical aspects, and the position is still not there every time and it’s a lot to think about so it’s been very fast but I like to be professional and I like to do a good job.”
She further added in an interview on The One Show: “Gio is a great teacher – he’s a perfectionist – as am.
“The waltz is so technical and its so different to anything I’ve done before.
“I don’t necessarily like the learning process because I lose concentration and Gio is very ‘again, again, again.’ But I was grateful because when I finally got to do the waltz I was prepared.
“And as much as during the rehearsal process I might have wanted to strangle him, I was glad that when I left the ballroom I thought I had done a good job of the waltz.”
Gio’s obsession with winning the Glitterball trophy paid off in 2021 when he reached the final with EastEnders’ star Rose Ayling-Ellis.
Deaf since birth, Rose was able to learn through watching champion Giovanni perform as he explained she used “muscle memory” and could pick up the beat of the music and feel the bass’ vibrations.
Rose and Giovanni left Strictly viewers in awe week after week, and stormed to victory beating chef John Whaite and pro Johannes Radebe in the final.
And she sang his praises during their time on the show, with the pair remaining close friends.
Despite bullying accusations mounting against him, The Sun revealed the BBC has pledged to stand by Giovanni.
Bosses arranged a call between show producers and Giovanni’s management where they offered him their full support — and reassured him of his place on the the show.
It 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.
He has also faced allegations that he clashed with previous partners, including Ranvir Singh, who lodged an official complaint, singer Faye Tozer, and presenters Laura Whitmore, Richie Anderson and Michelle Visage, over his boot camp methods.
However, his 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.”