‘I’m glad the world is seeing him for who he truly is’: Inside the claims against Strictly’s Giovanni Pernice

What a difference two years can make. In December 2021, Giovanni Pernice, paired with actress Rose Ayling-Ellis, was one half of arguably the most popular partnership in Strictly Come Dancing’s history. The duo claimed the glitterball that year and their silent Couple’s Choice dance won a Bafta. “If social media makes you despair about humanity, and think we’ve suddenly turned into a mean and divisive society,” Richard Osman tweeted at the time, “just watch #Gogglebox watching Rose and Giovanni on Strictly.”

That feels like a long time ago now. It has been a turbulent week for Pernice in what appears to be an escalating crisis for the 33-year-old dancer. It’s been reported this week that he has quit Strictly – though neither the dancer nor the BBC have confirmed the exit – and the legal firm Carter-Ruck has contacted the corporation regarding “numerous serious complaints” about his alleged behaviour while filming the show.

Again, the BBC has not commented. Responding to the allegations, Pernice, who is said to have engaged the legal firm Schillings, made a statement on Instagram: “To my dear fans, You will be as surprised as I am that allegations have been made about my dance teaching methods in the media this week.

“Of course, I reject any suggestion of abusive or threatening behaviour, and I look forward to clearing my name. Those who have followed my journey on Strictly Come Dancing over the last decade will know that I am passionate and competitive. No-one is more ambitious for my dance partners than me.

“I have always striven to help them be the very best dancers they can be,” he continued. “This has always come from a place of love and wanting to win – for me and my dance partners.”

Following the news of Pernice’s departure, the coin has flipped, as reports have also emerged that Strictly’s professional dancers are said to be “deeply worried” about the lack of psychological assessments for the show’s celebrity contestants before they sign up. According to the Daily Mail, Strictly does not conduct comprehensive tests for its potential stars, unlike ITV’s Dancing On Ice.

Television insiders point out that most other reality shows conduct rigorous evaluations to ensure that potential cast members can handle the demanding conditions. Sources close to some of the Strictly professionals have reportedly expressed concern that they could face accusations from their celebrity partners if challenges arise in these intense conditions. Of course, there is also a similar concern about whether sufficient psychological care is provided for the professional dancers, who are exposed to significant public attention and scrutiny.

The actress Amanda Abbington, Pernice’s most recent partner on Strictly, departed five weeks into last year’s series, citing personal reasons, and did not appear in the live final. In an Instagram post thanking the Strictly team, she notably left out any mention of her professional partner. It has been reported that Abbington has since had PTSD from her time training with her “militant” dance partner. The Sun reported that she was among the contestants to have instructed lawyers. Pernice’s former partner Laura Whitmore has also spoken of her unhappiness during her time on the show.

Strictly pro Luba Mushtuk has performed in Pernice’s stage shows. “I started dancing with him in 2016 when I joined the Strictly family,” she told Dancing Times in 2018. “We started choreographing together and doing some numbers. We felt it worked really well dance-wise and we started the tour. We’re really great friends. We’re like brother and sister: we argue; we have a lot of fun. We just have a very special relationship.”

Outside of Strictly, Korina Travis, a 29-year-old Burn the Floor dancer, who performed with Pernice at private functions, has said in a reply to a comment on Instagram: “I’ve known him for years as a fellow competitor and he has done horrendous things to me. I will not speak about my experiences with him but I’m glad the world is seeing him for who he truly is. I’ll leave it at that.”

To a request for an interview, one of his former partners replied. “The chapter with Giovanni is something that is in the past,” she said, “and I would like to keep it that way.”

The unfolding story has proved immensely divisive. Without being in the room or seeing the BBC footage, there is no way to know exactly what went on. For this reason, perhaps, the majority of Pernice’s former celebrity partners on Strictly have stayed quiet on the matter, though Debbie McGee, a former dancer herself, posted on Instagram in January: “Giovanni and I had the best time on Strictly.”

The show’s other professional dancers have largely stayed silent, too. Former Strictly champion Stacey Dooley was unwilling to be drawn on the subject when asked on BBC Breakfast. “What I would say, more broadly, is I hope all of the women involved are OK,” she noted. “I think, actually, separate from this – in my personal experience, I think it’s a slippery slope not to believe women when they come forward and say certain things.”

There has been an outpouring of support for the dancer from Pernice’s largely female fans. With 1.1 million followers on Instagram, more or less the same number as the BBC show itself, Giovanni has an enormous fanbase and has maintained a busy schedule outside of Strictly, with annual stage shows, as well as touring as a duo with Anton Du Beke. The pair have also appeared recently on Anton & Giovanni’s Adventures in Spain, though there are rumours that their travel show has also been cancelled.

Miho Charles, a Strictly fan and student of Giovanni’s, has nothing but praise for her teacher. “Giovanni never criticises your inabilities,” she says. “He suggests options and he always praises us… I describe him as a very hard-working, dedicated, very funny, honest, [he] keeps promises, [is a] friendly, loving, thoughtful, passionate, delightful, diligent, and beautiful person. He is one of the most fantastic teachers.”

There is more at stake teaching a celebrity on Strictly, however, with intense time pressure and an audience of millions. And the Sicilian dancer, who joined the show in 2015, has made no secret of the fact he is a taskmaster. Shortly after their time together, Pernice praised McGee’s commitment and work ethic. “Everything I taught her, she listened to,” he enthused, “and she would repeat, repeat, repeat – that’s what made the dancing so good.”

Nor has Pernice hidden the fact that he’s extremely competitive. “Very, very competitive,” he told Dancing Times in 2022, after winning with Ayling-Ellis. “I always wanted to win Strictly because I’d been so close – a runner-up so many times without getting the glitterball.

“I gave it to my mum and dad,” he added. “I promised them if I ever won the glitterball I’d give it to them, so that’s what I did. It’s in Sicily where they live, in the living room, so they can see it every day.” On the mantelpiece? “Yes, next to Jesus Christ,” he joked.

The dance world is famously hot-headed. I’ll never forget interviewing a West End choreographer on a Zoom call, during the pandemic. When I remarked on how friendly choreographers and dancers tend to be, he told me firmly: “Look, everybody is not nice.” “Dancers are very emotional,” noted Domen Krapez, the former world professional ballroom champion. “We’re not business people. We have to own the floor – we have to show emotions. And then of course, sometimes emotions come out too much and maybe they don’t fit with the person that’s in front of you. That can be a bit problematic.”

In the last decade, there has been at least one fight between female dancers on the floor of the British Open Championships at Blackpool Dance Festival. Strictly’s head judge, Shirley Ballas, has spoken out against bullies in the dance world, but also repeated an anecdote on Mel Giedroyc’s show Unforgivable about punching a woman, who had reportedly had an affair

Most ballroom insiders have witnessed couples fighting or voices being raised – or even the occasional slap or chair being thrown across the room at rehearsals. It’s not the norm, of course, and nor should it be acceptable, but there is a darker side of dancing and, to some extent, a conspiracy of silence around it. It’s difficult to know whether that’s what’s going on at the moment, or if it’s a simply a matter of everyone waiting out the legal investigation to discover what really happened.

The BBC have been contacted for comment