1 week Ago By [email protected] (Seamus Duff)
Fans of Giovanni Pernice may be calling for his return to Strictly Come Dancing , but it seems a return is unlikely for the former show star. The long-running BBC dance competition has been under a dark cloud all year ever since 2023 contestant Amanda Abbington accused 34-year-old Giovanni of unprofessional behaviour behind-the-scenes of the show. While an internal BBC investigation eventually cleared the star of wrongdoing, other past participants of the show and in the dance world have also spoken out against the star to accuse him of being overly intense during training.
The star himself did not return to Strictly amid the turmoil - but some fans hoped he may be clear to make a comeback after the BBC cleared him. Instead of featuring on Strictly this year, Giovanni has returned to his native Italy to compete on Ballando con le Stelle - the Italian version of the show which translates to Dancing With The Stars. The professional has also wowed audiences this year with his touring show - and loyal fans have stood beside him throughout his testing times.
But now word has emerged that the dancer is effectively banned from ever returning to Strictly due to the past year of controversy. A source told The Sun: “While it’s recognised Giovanni remains popular with a lot of Strictly viewers, there is a robust acceptance that he can’t return to the show, ever. His time on Strictly is over.
There’s no way back for him." They added: "That’s not a formal punishment, that’s a decision taken at a corporate level, concerned with protecting the reputation of what is a huge Saturday night family show.” The Mirror has contacted a spokesperson for Giovanni and a BBC representative for comment.
Giovanni himself has previously hinted he would be open to returning to the BBC show. He told Christine Lampard in a recent ITV interview: “Never say never..
. I’ve got a tour coming up in January, so I will definitely come back to the UK from January to July, and then, who knows?” Get all your showbiz news with Mirror Celebs WHATSAPP GROUP: Be first to get the juiciest celebrity news to your phone by joining our Celebs WhatsApp here . We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners.
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The dancer also opened up about the intensive BBC investigation into his conduct. He said: "First of all the investigation didn't find me to be a bully and that's exactly why I feel relieved now and it's important to put that straight because 'bully' is a big word." Casting his mind back to what could of gone wrong he relayed his final "message" that he had sent to Amanda before the scandal hit mainstream media and a formal complaint was lodged with the broadcaster.
Giovanni recalled: "And the last message I had with Amanda was 'please let me know how this goes, I want to help you. So the last message I sent to her was 'I will fund for you a doctor, please let's sort this out because it is more important than any steps.' This was the last message and last conversation with Amanda.
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