Fresh blow for under-fire Giovanni Pernice as his tour fails to sell out and ticket prices are slashed by 40%
GIOVANNI Pernice’s fans now seem to have turned against him as he struggles to sell out his latest tour.
The under-fire ex Strictly pro, 33, has been forced to slash the price of tickets for Together, his joint tour with Anton Du Beke.
Seats for the date at London’s Theatre Royal are being touted with 40 per cent off to try and get bums on seats amid bullying claims.
The posh West End venue looks to only be half-filled for the July 2nd date.
Tickets are now listed on seat-fillings sites for just £15.
The new tour, which began last week, sees Gio and Anton perform dances, comedy skits and chat to the audience.
They remain great pals despite Gio quitting the dance show as he faces investigation by the BBC, who have pulled in two former Metropolitan police officers to look into the case.
His former professional partner Amanda Abbington said she had PTSD after dancing with him on the show.
She is being backed by two other female stars – who are helping the Beeb with the probe.
On Saturday Gio released a statement rejecting all claims.
He said: “I am cooperating fully with the ongoing BBC investigation, which will determine the truth.
“As requested, I have stayed silent, but I am looking forward to the conclusion of the investigation and ultimately clearing my name and establishing the truth.
I’m so happy to be back on tour. Thank you all for your continued support – your messages and love mean so very much to me.
“I will hopefully see many of you very soon.”
The Sicilian left the audience baffled at the launch of the new tour, where he bizarrely compared himself to Baby Reindeer stalker Martha as he returned to the stage.
Speaking at The Hexagon theatre in Reading on Saturday night, Giovanni told Anton: “I have basically become a bit obsessed with you. I like everything you do.
Giovanni Pernice Strictly scandal timeline
October 2023: Amanda abruptly withdraws from Strictly having already missed one live show. Her departure is announced in a vague BBC statement that ‘wishes her the best’.
Giovanni posts a short message on social media addressing the exit, which read: “Amanda… I am so sad we can’t continue but I am proud of what we achieved and I am sending you so much love.”
Amanda then shares her own farewell statement on Instagram thanking co-stars but failing to mention Gio.
Giovanni’s dad Piero insists there were no signs of a fall out and the pairing could have gone all the way. He praised his son as kind and polite.
November 2023: Giovanni is reportedly gutted by the situation and is considering his Strictly future as questions are raised about his conduct.
January 2024: Amanda’s PTSD diagnosis comes to light and she demands CCTV from rehearsals to prove that Giovanni’s training methods weren’t acceptable.
The BBC issues a statement defending its duty of care to contestants, insisting it takes any claims of wrongdoing very seriously.
The Corporation stands by its man after emergency meeting
March 2024: Giovanni publicly states he has no intention of leaving Strictly in a TV interview with close pal Anton du Beke.
Ranvir Singh and Laura Whitmore enter the picture. Allegedly the two celebs, who were both previously partnered with Giovanni on Strictly, didn’t feel the BBC took their issues with his methods seriously enough.
The pair have a closed meeting with Amanda where tears are said to be shed.
May 2024: We reveal Giovanni is leaving the programme after having talks with show bosses
He leaves the country with girlfriend Molly Brown on holiday
The BBC launches an internal investigation after three complainants instruct lawyers. A source describes it as a “nightmare situation”.
“I want to be as great as you are. It is a bit like Baby Reindeer. When I met you life changed.”
Baby Reindeer is Netflix’s hit series based on comedian Richard Gadd’s real life experience with stalker Fiona Harvey.
Gadd plays struggling comic Danny, whilst Jessica Gunning plays a version of Fiona called Martha.
Giovanni’s peculiar declaration comes at a particularly bad time.
It came after The Sun reported that BBC investigators have been told he grabbed his crotch in front of dance partners during rehearsals.
A source explained: “It’s alleged he would grab his crotch in front of them if they did something good in rehearsals.”
The allegation makes for a worrying comparison to Baby Reindeer, which includes a scene where stalker Martha grabs comic Danny by the crotch when she hunts him down late at night.
Yesterday, Shirley Ballas became the first Strictly judge to openly back the dancer, as she said: “He has always been to me, and I will make that clear, to me…a perfect gentleman.
“I know he is a hard worker. He wants the people to do the very best that they can do.”