Exclusive:
Giovanni Pernice has shared an explosive message after enduring what he describes as an extremely tough year following the Strictly Come Dancing bullying scandal
Giovanni Pernice has lashed out after his “dark year.”
The professional dancer found himself sacked from BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing following allegations he bullied his dance partner, Amanda Abbington. The Sherlock star accused Pernice of being “unnecessary, abusive, cruel and mean” during their rehearsal times. He strongly denied the allegations.
At the time, an internal investigation was carried out after the license payer funded corporation stated they took the claims “very seriously” and reviewed all evidence. The investigation took some time due to its “complex nature” and to ensure a “rigorous and robust process” was carried out.
“Sorry for my language but 2024 can f**k off. I’ve been looking forward to seeing the back of it,” Giovanni exclusively told the Sunday Mirror. The dancer went on to add: “I’m not going to lie, there were dark moments in terms of, you know, this is finished, this is the end of my career. That was one of my down moments.”
In light of the investigation being completed, the BBC said: “We have assessed the complaints and we have upheld some, but not all, of the complaints made. We want to apologise to Amanda Abbington and to thank her for coming forward and taking part. We know this would not have been an easy thing to do.”
Amanda claimed that she raised her concerns with Strictly producers on the third day of her training and had “many” discussions with bosses. The BBC apologised to Amanda in September after its investigation upheld complaints of verbal bullying and harassment.
Addressing what happened after the actress complained to the BBC about him, Giovanni says: “Even with that I was like, I need to be a better man. I have to. Every time she came out with another interview I was always maintaining a calm inside. Trust me, it wasn’t easy, there were dark times. But I know what I did – that kept me calm, because I knew the truth from the beginning.
“I was expecting and waiting that all of this would finish and come back with the results that I wanted it to be. I know what the truth is, I know who I am, so you just wait and move on with life.” Now, Giovanni is channelling his energy into his upcoming UK tour. He says: “I can’t wait to reconnect with Mother Nature, which is my UK fan base, because they’ve been supportive all the way through and I’ve missed them.” The shows will be bittersweet for both Giovanni and his fans – as he reveals they will be his last.
He says: “It’s going to be so emotional when I get back on stage in front of them again, and even more emotion is the fact that this is my last tour. I need a break, darling. I’m 35 years old. I’ve been doing this for 10 years.” Considering his next moves away from the dance floor, Giovanni is looking to become an actor. He says: “That’s something I’ve always wanted to do, but obviously English is not my first language, so we have to see. I need to go to English school first of all to learn English properly. And I like to sing too, so maybe some singing lesson to improve my singing.”
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