Strictly star Giovanni Pernice was so “demanding” that one of his fellow pro dancers was forced to seek “professional help”, it’s been claimed.
The claims came hours before the BBC released a statement on the line-up of professional dancers joining the 2024 series of Strictly Come Dancing.
Strictly star Giovanni Pernice exits the show
After weeks of speculation about Giovanni leaving the show, this news now appears to have been confirmed, with the Italian dancer’s name not included on the list of those taking to the dancefloor this autumn.
Giovanni has yet to make a statement on the news.
Last night, however, fresh claims emerged about the embattled dancer. He is currently at the centre of a probe into his alleged behaviour towards four of his celebrity partners. Three women, including Amanda Abbington, and one man have come forward.
‘They needed counselling’
Now it’s been claimed that one of Gio’s fellow pro dancers found working alongside him “caused significant emotional distress”.
Speaking to The Sun, one insider claimed: “One of the dancers on the show found it so traumatising that they sought professional help. The show is unlike anything else on TV. The pressure on those taking part is huge and shouldn’t be underestimated.
“But Giovanni’s demanding behaviour behind the scenes took it up a notch and caused significant emotional distress. They were so upset by what happened they needed counselling to recover from the toll it took.”
Fans react
As the news of Giovanni’s departure was confirmed, Strictly fans took to ED!’s social media to share their disgust over the news.
In fact, some have even threatened to boycott the show because the Italian dancer won’t be taking part in the series.
The BBC refused to comment on this story. Giovanni’s reps ignored our request for comment.
Read more: All the stars ‘joining’ the Strictly Come Dancing line-up so far
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