Strictly’s Giovanni Pernice ‘receives full support of BBC bosses as they have emergency meeting following his feud with Amanda Abbington’
BBC bosses are reportedly sticking by Giovanni Pernice following his feud with Amanda Abbington.
The Strictly Come Dancing professional, 33, was said to have had a falling out with the actress, 51, who is alleged to be suffering from PTSD following her experience on the show.
According to The Sun, bosses arranged a call between Giovanni’s management and Strictly executives where they offered him their full support and checked in on his mental health.
Giovanni is understood to have been assured that his place on the show is secure.
A source said: ‘It’s no secret Gio and Amanda had a tricksy relationship — but there are two sides to every story.
BBC bosses are reportedly sticking by Giovanni Pernice following his feud with Amanda Abbington
The Strictly Come Dancing professional, 33, was said to have had a falling out with the actress, 51, who is alleged to be suffering from PTSD following her experience on the show
‘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.
‘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.’
MailOnline has contacted representatives for Giovanni Pernice and Strictly Come Dancing for comment.
Amanda quit the BBC One series mid-series last year citing ‘personal issues’, with reports of a fallout between the pair.
It has reportedly taken months for her to recover from her Strictly stint and it is believed she has needed therapy following the ‘behaviour she was exposed to’.
It has also been claimed Amanda reportedly asked for rehearsal footage to highlight the Italian’s ‘tense’ and ‘full-on’ training methods, which allegedly caused her much grief and PTSD.
The Mirror reported that BBC bosses were left bemused at her requests for the footage as Giovanni’s conduct had ‘never crossed the line’.
The publication also reported that after speaking to Giovanni after the PTSD claims, a BBC source added the allegations were ‘excessive’.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the BBC said: ‘The BBC offers a comprehensive range of support to all individuals taking part in our shows.
Bosses arranged a call between Giovanni’s management and Strictly executives where they offered him their full support and checked in on his mental health
Giovanni is understood to have been assured that his place on the show is secure
‘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 spokesperson continued to tell The Sun: ‘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.’
Insiders say they are especially puzzled as Amanda’s ‘personal reasons’ cited at the time for leaving the show weren’t PTSD but something unconnected.
It comes after Strictly was said to be in crisis over fears celebrity contestants would refuse to pair up with Giovanni following his feud with Amanda.
It has TV chiefs fearful future contestants will refuse to work with the dancer, who has previously garnered negative feedback from former partners including Laura Whitmore, 38, Ranvir Singh, 46, and Richie Anderson, 36.
Giovanni is one of Strictly’s most high-profile dancers and an emerging BBC light-entertainment face courtesy of his travel series with judge Anton Du Beke, 57, which could leave bosses with a problem.
A source told MailOnline: ‘The fallout between Giovanni and Amanda is causing much concern.
‘Celebrity contestants usually don’t mind which partner they are coupled up with as they’re just happy to be on the show.
‘But Giovanni’s reputation has taken a further hit following Amanda’s experience and they don’t want to be in a position where new contestants may threaten to quit if they’re paired with him.’
Amanda is not the first celebrity to criticise Giovanni’s gruelling training style.
In 2016, TV presenter Laura Whitmore said: ‘I’m still not ready to talk in-depth about my experience on the show.
The BBC found Amanda Abbington’s claims about Giovanni excessive and have never received a formal complaint about him, it has been claimed
‘I was placed with a dance partner I was extremely uncomfortable with and in the end, I felt broken, I cried every day. And I was really broken, both mentally and physically, by the end.’
In 2020, Giovanni fell out with Good Morning Britain presenter Ranvir as she admitted to having a ‘total meltdown’ in rehearsals with him.
The ITV presenter told her co-star Kate Garraway she and the dancer had a ’20-minute divorce’ as things became tense in training.
It was also reported that Giovanni feuded with radio DJ Richie when he performed in a same-sex partnership for the first time in 2022.
Giovanni is yet to comment on the claims made against him but has posted on Instagram about teaching a dance class to 250 people.
The dancer has appeared on Strictly for eight consecutive years and made the final on three occasions.
He has carved out a career away from the show after launching his own cosmetics brand, called Vita, in October and touring the country with independent shows.
His Strictly highlight was undoubtedly winning the 2021 series with deaf actress Rose Ayling-Ellis, 29, earning praise and a BAFTA TV Award for their silent dance to Symphony.
The former EastEnders star has previously gushed about Giovanni, lauding his ability as a mentor and expressing their close bond, which jars against the comments of some of his other Strictly partners.
