BBC Strictly Come Dancing star 'bursts into tears' after parents asked brutal question
Giovanni Pernice burst into tears after his parents were asked brutal question amid a BBC investigation into his conduct towards Amanda Abbington. Giovanni appeared on ITV Lorraine today where he addressed the Strictly Come Dancing probe.
Speaking to Christine Lampard, Gio said: "I rang my parents up crying. They are the closest people to me." He continued: "They were asked if their son was a bully. Everyone got upset, that made me upset. There were so many tears of frustration and sadness."
Italian pro Giovanni added that his parents were stunned how he was able to "respect the process" following the accusations. He explained: "Strictly is a show that puts two people in a room. I didn't personally know Amanda and Amanda didn't know me.
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"It's very concerning the fact that even if it's like that after three days, you've already complained." He told Christine: "First of all, the investigation didn't find me a bully, and it's important to put things straight. Bullying is a big word.
"There's a difference between bullying and caring what you do. It's very different. Everything seemed great. All I had was, 'Giovanni, you're an amazing teacher', 'Giovanni, you're great', and then, as Amanda said, she left because of health conditions, and my last message to her was saying, 'Please let me know how the scan goes, and I want to help you.'
"The last message to her was I'd help her find a doctor to sort it out." A statement issued by the broadcaster said: "We have assessed the complaints, and we have upheld some, but not all, of the complaints made." Giovanni had always denied the allegations and was "happy" that the investigation had cleared him of the abuse allegations.
The BBC apologised to BBC Sherlock star in the wake of the investigation.