Yahoo News BBC Strictly Come Dancing bosses make decision about Giovanni returning after bullying row
BBC bosses have decided Giovanni Pernice's future on the hit Strictly Come Dancing. The professional dancer was dropped from the show as the corporation investigated bullying claims against the Italian hunk.
Giovanni's future was deliberated upon after a BBC investigation validated six out of 17 complaints against the 34 year old dancer after he was paired with actress Amanda Abbington on te BBC show. But bosses have ruled out him ever returning to the dancefloor.
Giovanni will not be making a return to Strictly following the bullying scandal with the show's executives concluding that a comeback for the dancer was unfeasible after they issued an apology to his celebrity partner, Amanda, 50, for her distress during the last series. A source from the BBC 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.
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"His time on Strictly is over. There's no way back for him. 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."
In response to the investigation, the BBC has altered their procedures, including the introduction of chaperones to oversee couples during rehearsals. During a recent ITV1 interview, Christine Lampard asked Italian Giovanni, "Will we see you back on Strictly?"
He responded: "Never say never", and added: "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?"
