Giovanni Pernice has reportedly ‘quit’ Strictly Come Dancing following months of headlines concerning his most recent series partnership with Amanda Abbington.
According to The Sun, Italian dancer Gio “feels the scrutiny on him has become too much, and now is the time to make a fresh start”.
The 33-year-old pro star is said to want to “focus on other TV projects”, an unnamed source claims.
But how has it got to the point that one of the BBC One dance contest’s most beloved stars has apparently decided to move on?
Giovanni Pernice – Amanda Abbington Strictly Come Dancing timeline
Former Glitterball trophy winner Gio came under scrutiny after Sherlock actress Amanda withdrew from the 2023 series of Strictly last October on medical grounds. At the time, reports suggested she and Giovanni may have been ‘feuding’ away from the cameras.
A statement from Strictly read: “Amanda Abbington is unable to continue in Strictly Come Dancing and has decided to withdraw from the competition. The show wishes her all the best for the future.”
Giovanni also issued his own response, on Instagram, captioning a pic of the pair: “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.”
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October 2023: Amanda Abbington statement
Amanda, meanwhile, also expressed herself on social media.
Uploading a pic of golden dance shoes on Insta, she shared: “It is with deepest regret that I had to leave Strictly.”
Amanda continued: “I did not come to this decision easily or lightly but for personal reasons I am unable to continue.”
She went on: “It was an absolute joy working with my fellow contestants. They are a beautiful, hardworking and talented group of people who I love and who I will miss seeing every Friday and Saturday and competing alongside.”
However, Amanda failed to mention Giovanni in her post.
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Her lengthy caption continued: “I want to thank the incredible production team and everyone on Strictly who looked after me and who are so kind and caring. It’s a wonderful bunch of people and I’ll miss all of them.
“I’m so sad that I am unable to go any further. Thank you to everyone who voted and who sent wonderful messages and inspiring support. You are all amazing. Truly. Thank you.”
Giovanni and Amanda ‘feud’
Within days, sources were telling tabloid newspapers that Giovanni was left “really annoyed” that Amanda didn’t tell him she would be leaving. Instead, it was claimed, Gio found out about the news through a producer. But this was denied by his reps at the time.
And Giovanni’s parents were soon being quoted by news outlets too. But as they suggested Amanda may have felt fatigued by rehearsals, Giovanni’s training methods were stoutly defended.
Strictly news
Dad Piero is said to have reflected to The Sun: “We are surprised by the fact she left the show, because everything was going okay. We thought they could have won. It all seemed okay for them before she quit the show. My son is a really nice, polite and respectful boy. He always had good results with different partners and he has never had problems with them.”
Piero is said to have added: “We’ve never heard anyone saying negative things about Giovanni. The only thing Giovanni thought was, sometimes Amanda was tired during training. In my opinion, sometimes you have to push a person to get to their best, but sometimes that isn’t what one person needs.”
November 2023: Giovanni speculation
It wasn’t long, however, before fans began speculating whether Giovanni may envision a future away from Strictly. With other live show, branding, and TV projects, some saw signs he could consider leaving himself, after being part of the show since 2025.
Additionally, an anonymous insider told OK!: “This could be his last ever Strictly. He’s been thinking about the future as he gets older. So, if that’s the case, it’s a shame it’s ended this way.”
They are said to have added: “The whole situation has been quite hard for him to take in. He’s devastated.”
January 2024: Amanda Abbington PTSD claims
A few days into the new year, and stories about Giovanni and Amanda continued to flow.
It was reported Amanda had suffered PTSD – and had requested recordings of her training sessions.
And another unidentified source was quoted as alleging to The Sun: “There is a feeling that the recordings will lift the lid on what really goes on behind the scenes on Strictly. Things in rehearsals can become very tense. Giovanni is a perfectionist and he can be incredibly full-on.”
A subsequent statement from the Beeb addressed duty of care on Strictly.
It read: “The BBC offers a comprehensive range of support to all individuals taking part in our shows.
“Strictly Come Dancing has always taken duty of care incredibly seriously and there is a constant dialogue between senior members of the production team and the contestants to ensure any concerns are addressed swiftly.”
The statement continued: “Strictly has a proud track record as a joyful, positive experience where robust support and assistance is always made available at every stage of the production.”
And insider quotes published by The Sun suggested the BBC was offering Giovanni ‘full support’.
“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,” it was claimed.
They added: “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.”
March 2024: Giovanni Pernice denial
In March, Giovanni denied any plans of moving on from Strictly when he and judge Anton Du Beke were quizzed about whether they’d consider leaving.
“Why would we do that?” he said at the time.
He added: “We love our jobs. It’s one of the best shows on television and we get to do our own shows, too.”
March 2024: New claims from former Strictly partners
However, within days, there were fresh claims reported in the press.
According to MailOnline, Gio’s former dance partners Laura Whitmore and Ranvir Singh – as well as Amanda – felt “very unhappy” with how the BBC responded to reported complaints about their alleged training room experiences with him.
It was suggested they felt “untouchable” Gio was ‘being pushed to centre stage to make them go away’.
The trio were said to have come together for an “emotional” meeting where they are said to have discussed their respective runs on the show.
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May 16, 2024: Giovanni Pernice ‘exit’
Amid reports of Giovanni not returning to Strictly, a source for The Sun insists he has “done nothing wrong”.
They said: “Giovanni remains adamant he’s done nothing wrong other than being a hard taskmaster. But knows his style of training isn’t to everyone’s liking — especially in this day and age.
Giovanni remains adamant he’s done nothing wrong other than being a hard taskmaster.
“He has a lot of other exciting projects in the pipeline right now. And he’s just super-excited to get cracking on them. This, now, is his priority.”
He also recently flew to Dubai with his girlfriend Molly Brown for a getaway.
May 17, 2024: BBC ‘investigation’
Meanwhile, on May 17 reports claimed that the BBC has launched an investigation about alleged complaints made about Giovanni. The internal investigation comes after three former contestants instructed lawyers, the report alleges.
A spokeswoman for legal firm Carter Ruck told The Sun: “There have been numerous serious complaints made to the BBC who are now in the process of evidence gathering. As it is still an ongoing matter no further comment can be made at this stage.”
Meanwhile, a source has reportedly claimed: “These are troubled times for the BBC – this is a nightmare situation, frankly. Rumblings have been going on for months about allegations surrounding his behaviour but they steadfastly declined to launch any kind of investigation.
“It was only when three contestants, all allegedly deeply traumatised and upset by some of his training methods and behaviour, complained that any action was taken.”
ED! has contacted the BBC for comment.
Read more: All the ‘feud’ rumours Giovanni Pernice has faced during his Strictly career
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