In his first TV interview since the BBC investigation into allegations made by Amanda Abbington, Strictly Come Dancing star Giovanni Pernice has finally broken his silence.
Speaking on Lorraine, Giovanni explained why now was the right time to share his side of the story.
He said: “It’s been hard to read things every day in the papers that just weren’t true. But we were both asked to maintain confidentiality, so I couldn’t speak out. I wanted to stay professional, and now the results are out, I can finally put the record straight.”
In response to the interview, Giovanni was branded ‘delusional’ in a statement released by Amanda’s team.
The BBC investigation followed Amanda Abbington’s accusations about their time working together on Strictly.
Giovanni expressed relief that the most serious allegations had been dismissed.
“The most important thing is that the worst claims were thrown out,” he explained. “Yes, six allegations were upheld, but 11 weren’t, and the more serious ones were not.”
One of the six upheld claims involved frustration during rehearsals, which Giovanni acknowledged.
“I recognise that I get frustrated sometimes. It’s not easy to learn a new dance every week,” he said.
“Trust me when I say every single person on Strictly Come Dancing or Dancing with the Stars, in the world would get frustrated because you feel the pressure… You want to perform perfectly on the Saturday night. So, frustration is something that when you want to be good, it happens”
Giovanni also pointed out: “The investigation didn’t say I was a bully, which is why I feel relieved. There’s a huge difference between being a bully and caring deeply about your job,” he said.
As for his future on Strictly Come Dancing, Giovanni remained non-committal, saying he is currently focusing on dancing in Italy.
“Who knows? Never say never,” he teased.
Amanda’s response
A statement released from Amanda’s lawyer in response to the interview read: “Mr Pernice’s claim that ‘everything in the rehearsal room worked perfectly’ is false and delusional, and underlines the toxic culture Ms Abbington endured on Strictly Come Dancing.”
“The BBC’s own investigation concluded that Mr Pernice was in breach of multiple BBC Policies, including repeated breaches of the Anti-Bullying and Harassment Policy. Mr Pernice was spoken to by the BBC on several occasions about his misconduct – but his behaviour only continued.
Meanwhile the BBC said: “Strictly Come Dancing is a family show and we rightly expect very high standards. While competition can be tough, rigorous and demanding, we want the show to ultimately be a joyous and transformative experience. It is a great shame if this hasn’t been the case for everyone who has appeared on the show. ”
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