Has Giovanni Pernice discovered his amore on the dancefloor? After a tumultuous yr dealing with accusations of bullying from Amanda Abbington, pals say there is a twinkle in his eye once more, KATIE HIND reveals
Almost exactly a year ago, Giovanni Pernice‘s illustrious Strictly Come Dancing journey came to an unexpected, and abrupt, end.
While he’d hoped to make it to the final of the British series with actress Amanda Abbington, a talented dancer, she suddenly quit in the sixth week.
We know now this came after weeks of difficulties between the pair.
Since then, of course, Giovanni has faced allegations from Abbington, who described his behaviour in the training room as ‘inappropriate’, ‘mean’ and ‘bullying’.
This month, following a six-month internal investigation, the BBC apologised to Abbington after upholding just six of her 17 complaints and clearing Giovanni of the most serious allegations.
Giovanni Pernice and his dance partner Bianca Guaccero attend the Italian TV show ‘Ballando Con Le Stelle’ (Dancing with the Stars)
Friends say that Giovanni is smitten with new dancing partner Bianca Guaccero (pictured)
Amanda Abbington, suddenly quit in the sixth week of Strictly Come Dancing after describing Giovanni’s behaviour in the training room as ‘inappropriate’
He has always strongly denied being abusive and gave his side of the story in an exclusive interview to me this week.
Still, it’s tough to bounce back from. But what a difference 12 months make.
Last Saturday, back in his native Italy, Giovanni, 34, broke the record for the most ten out of tens for his quickstep on the Italian version of Strictly.
He got five as there are five judges on Ballando Con Le Stelle [Dancing with the Stars]. It meant he scored a sensational 50 out of 50.
The show’s head judge, former ballroom star Carolyn Smith, said: ‘That’s how a quickstep should be done,’ as the audience gave a standing ovation.
Of course, it wasn’t just Giovanni who impressed the panel, but his new partner, the woman he says has put a smile on his face and helped him find a ‘happy place’ after last year’s tumult.
Rather than the toxicity of the rehearsal sessions with Amanda, those he now shares with the new dancer are ‘things of happiness’.
She is stunning Italian actress and divorcee Bianca Guaccero. And Giovanni, is absolutely smitten.
BBC chiefs unveiled the findings from their six-month investigation into Amanda Abbington ‘s explosive allegations that her Strictly partner Giovanni bullied her in training
Giovanni, 34, said he was ‘pleased’ following the end of the probe, which found in his favour on all but six of the 17 allegations made by Amanda, 50
‘All I’m going to talk about from now until December is Bianca and Ballando,’ he tells me.
The pair have been working together for almost two months. This week they travelled to London, where Giovanni splits his time, to train.
Friends of the ballroom heartthrob say that being teamed with Bianca has been exactly what he has needed.
And when I met Giovanni last Monday, he beamed with happiness when I mentioned her name. So, is romance on the cards?
‘Well, she’s single,’ he says, dodging the question. ‘She’s 43. She’s got a child, she’s brilliant. She comes to rehearsals.
It’s definitely a place of happiness, I’m happy to be able to do what I love to do.’
I push my luck and ask if they’ve kissed, but again Giovanni won’t answer. Instead, I just get another sparkling smile. ‘All I’m interested in is Bianca,’ he says.
‘She’s great, she’s a fantastic dancer. We broke the record of the most tens on the show! In 19 years of history.’
Giovanni has been single since splitting from British model Molly Brown, 24, in the summer.
Bianca is also single since splitting with her director husband Dario Acocella in 2017. The couple have a daughter called Alice.
And it’s Bianca who has restored Giovanni’s faith in dancing. While he says he knew his career wouldn’t be over after Amanda’s complaint – ‘I didn’t do anything wrong,’ is how he puts it – things were very much on hold for the best part of a year.
Now, Bianca and Giovanni are entertaining thousands of new fans with Instagram videos which they post several times a week.
In the last, they said they had just returned from London and were looking forward to today’s dance. Viewers certainly have noticed a frisson between them.
A friend of the Sicilian star said: ‘Giovanni is looking to the future and he loves dancing with Bianca, and he has a twinkle in his eye, and never more so than when you mention her.
‘She is the perfect person for him to have been partnered with after the whole Amanda saga.
A friend said that Giovanni is looking to the future and has a twinkle in his eye again after a difficult year
During an interview on Lorraine Giovanni also hinted at the possibility of him returning to Strictly
The report investigating what went on during training has not been made public
‘He has been through a really difficult time and was thrilled to be dancing again but didn’t realise he would have someone as wonderful as Bianca to do that with.’
Of course, should things take a romantic turn it will be something Giovanni is used to.
When paired with Coronation Street actress Georgia May Foote in 2015 – Giovanni’s first year on Strictly – they began dating.
He also found love with singer Ashley Roberts who appeared on Strictly in 2018 though they were not a pair – she danced with Pasha Kovalev.
In 2022, Giovanni was linked to fellow Strictly professional Jowita Przystal, who is Polish.
While Giovanni scooped the glitterball with actress Rose Ayling-Ellis in 2021, if he finds success with Bianca he will finish 2024 in very different spirits to its start.
The BBC review found that Giovanni used ‘belittling’ language towards Amanda.
As a result, the Corporation apologised and thanked her for coming forward.
The report, which cost upwards of £250,000, found that on another occasion he said: ‘I’m tired of it, if you want to look s*** I don’t care.’
It was later revealed Amanda had called Giovanni foul names – and was deemed by the BBC investigators to have begun the coarse language in WhatsApp exchanges with him.
The Sherlock actress was also ruled to have been the only one over the hours of rehearsal footage using the ‘c-word.’
During their written exchanges, Amanda, 52, referred to the professional dancer as a ‘k***head,’ a ‘d***face’ a ‘t**t,’ despite complaining he was abusive to her.
As for new partner Bianca, she comes from a showbusiness family in Italy, and made her name playing a conniving character in a mini-series set on Capri.
Giovanni Pernice assured he holds no ill will towards Amanda Abbington after being cleared of the majority of bullying allegations in a BBC probe
Giovanni’s spokesperson said the dancer is ‘relieved’ after the ‘majority’ of claims against him were dismissed
While Giovanni hasn’t ruled out a return to British Strictly – he says it’s the ‘show that changed my life’ – he is clearly happy in Italy for now. He has temporarily relocated to Rome.
He is happy to be nearer his parents, who he says struggled with the Strictly fallout and were upset having to answer questions over whether their son was a bully.
Ultimately, when he was approached by Ballando, the BBC pledged in July that the report would not reveal any dangerous behaviour towards Amanda.
‘I always wanted to come back, this is the right time for me to do that,’ Giovanni told the Mail.
‘And I’m glad because Strictly… as a team they did give me the green light which says a lot of me…
‘I’m doing the same job in a different country. They couldn’t stop me doing this because I didn’t do anything wrong.’
I wonder what Bianca knows about Amanda’s complaints and it seems Ballando chiefs were open. ‘Bianca knows about it all,’ said Giovanni.
‘In the first few days you need to get to know that person before you really speak.
‘Then she was the first one who said, ‘I don’t know what’s happening, you are great to me.’
While Giovanni and Bianca are tipped to make it to the final, he is modest about whether they will win, though.
‘Can you imagine if we did?’, he whispers. ‘It would be amazing.’
In fact, he has already been eyeing the silverware, and it’s far bigger than the UK’s glitterball.
‘The trophy is massive,’ he says, gesturing to just above his knee.
‘It’s as big as the Champion’s League one, it’s huge.’
What a revenge it would be, I say. He nods, and smiles. Again.
