Giovanni Pernice ‘is untouchable’ claim three former Strictly partners who ‘refuse to back down’ in bullying complaint
UNDER fire Giovanni Pernice is “untouchable” at the BBC, according to the three former Strictly stars.
Amanda Abbington, Laura Whitmore and Ranvir Singh recently held a tearful summit to share their experiences with the professional dancer.
Sherlock star Amanda was left with mild post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after her time dancing with Giovanni on the latest series of Strictly.
Laura and Ranvir were partnered with him in previous years and the former revealed how she regularly returned home in tears from the rehearsal room.
So far, the BBC have stuck by their man, promoting his latest travel show with Anton du Beke, while Strictly has decided not to conduct an investigation into his behaviour.
A source told the Mail: “They are very unhappy with the way the BBC are handling this.
“It’s one thing saying they are standing by him, but they feel as if Giovanni is being promoted and pushed centre stage in a bid to make them go away and keep quiet. It’s a kick in the teeth.”
The trio won’t back down and intend to meet again to try and prevent others experiencing what they have.
The source continued: “But right now there’s a feeling that Gio is pretty much untouchable – especially given he is so close to Anton who thinks the world of him and can’t believe the stuff he’s been hearing claimed about his mate.”
It’s been manic start to the year for self-confessed ‘workaholic’ Giovanni.
Not only is he on the road with his sold out stage show and on screen with Anton, but he’s also split from model girlfriend Molly Brown, 24.
Giovanni met stunning Molly earlier this year and she shared a cosy snap with him on social media along with the Italian phrase “Amore Mio”, which translates as “my love”.
However, they no longer follow each other and there is no trace of their relationship on either of their grids.
Giovanni has had a colourful love life over the years and has dated a bevy of beauties.
He famously had romances with Strictly star Georgia May Foote, Towie’s Jess Wright and Love Island’s Maura Higgins.
Then there were reports of a whirlwind romance with Glitterball winner Jowita Przystal, which came to an end due to their busy schedules.
Giovanni recently addressed his feud with Amanda in a podcast interview.
He told The Mirror’s Invite Only show that Amanda’s decision to quit was “a shame”, adding: “Amanda could have gone all the way.”
Good Morning Britain presenter Ranvir, 46, who was partnered with 34-year-old Giovanni in 2020, complained about him to producers during her stint on the series.
Former Love Island presenter Laura, 38, meanwhile, said she “cried every day” and felt “uncomfortable” while training with him when they were paired up in 2016.
A source said: “All three had difficult experiences with Giovanni, who is well known to be intense during training. They met in person to share their experiences.
“Their meeting was emotional but heart-warming. They now know they are there to support each other after their tough times with Giovanni. Tears were shed.
“There is every possibility all three could take it further and formally complain to the BBC, but for now they’re comforting each other.”
The source added: “Only a handful of people will understand what it’s like to be trained by Giovanni and in the industry he is regarded as a ‘perfectionist’.
“He’s been known to row with many of his partners.”
Giovanni defended his actions, saying: “If you’re a professional dancer on one of these shows, you have to get the people looking the best they can on a Saturday night.
“If we have good scores at the end, I do look back and say, ‘I’ve done a great job’.”
Ranvir also flagged an issue during training with Giovanni, who has been on the show since 2015, and said that she was unhappy.
And telly host Laura wrote: “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. I cried every day. And I really was broken, both mentally and physically, by the end.”
In another interview, she said: “What I didn’t like was being removed from everybody and having to spend 12 hours a day with this one person.
“It did not become about the dancing. I just wanted to dance. I did not want to play the game of doing red carpets with your dance partner and stuff like that.”
The BBC said in January it would not be conducting an investigation into Giovanni’s behaviour with Amanda.
A spokesman said: “There is a constant dialogue between the senior production team and contestants to ensure any concerns are addressed swiftly.”
The source told The Sun on Sunday: “There is some shock that the BBC appears to be doing nothing. Like Amanda, Ranvir also flagged an issue during training with Giovanni and said she was unhappy.
“While Laura has been vocal about how she found her time on the series distressing.
“Amanda is lining up a well-known lawyer to help her gain access to the rehearsal tapes of her and Giovanni with the aim of reviewing them.”