As he was hit with fresh allegations over his conduct last week, Strictly Come Dancing’s Giovanni Pernice is fighting to keep his reputation intact. The Sicilian dancer fiercely denied claims of “abusive or threatening behaviour” as he faced an internal investigation following “numerous serious complaints” by three former contestants, who have hired a top legal firm.
One of the allegations is thought to be from Sherlock actress Amanda Abbington, who accused him of “bullying” and being “abrasive” and claimed that he stamped on her foot during training sessions in last year’s series.
Backlash has also grown against the 33-year-old pro, with stars distancing themselves from him amid unconfirmed reports that he has quit the show. Stacey Dooley, who won the BBC competition in 2019 with now-boyfriend Kevin Clifton, said, “I don’t have a friendship with Giovanni. I hope all of the women involved are OK”. And Rose Ayling-Ellis, who won the competition with him in 2021, is said to be “really shocked” by the claims and has yet to lend her support to him publicly.
Now former Strictly star Kristina Rihanoff – who worked alongside Giovanni on the show in 2015 and counts him a friend – shares her thoughts on the drama.
“I’m quite frankly stunned by the whole scandal. It’s definitely not like the Gio that I know,” she tells Closer. “Gio’s a really nice, friendly guy. I’ve danced with him and known him for around seven years. He’s never been a nightmare in any of our group rehearsals, just a hard-working professional. Gio does not try to please and he’s very driven by winning, like so many of the dancers. I was like that too! You’re there to do a job at the end of the day.”
Gio joined Strictly in 2015 and quickly became a fan favourite with his hunky looks, sexy moves and his love life away from the dance floor. Fans were delighted when he had a short-lived romance with his first celebrity partner, Georgia May Foote. He has also dated TOWIE’s Jess Wright, Love Island finalist Maura Higgins, ex-Pussycat Dolls singer Ashley Roberts and fellow Strictly dancer Jowita Przystal. He’s now with model Molly Brown.
Despite his impressive streak on Strictly – he holds the record for the most 10s ever awarded and has topped the leaderboard more than any other pro in the show’s 20-year history – Gio has had a dramatic fall from grace. Rumblings of backstage feuds with Amanda emerged before she quit the competition last October, and she sparked further rumours that they don’t get on when she shared a cryptic post about unkind people on social media.
She snubbed Gio when she broke her silence following her departure. In January, it was revealed that Amanda, 52, asked for footage of her training sessions with Gio as she sought legal advice over his training methods. Gio’s past celebrity partners Laura Whitmore and Ranvir Singh have also claimed that they had a similar experience to Amanda, and it’s thought that the three of them met in March to discuss it.
Meanwhile, professional dancer Korina Travis has also criticised Gio, claiming that he had behaved “horrendously” to her after they performed together.
“I’m glad the world is seeing him for who he truly is,” she said. Gio has vehemently denied all the accusations, however, releasing a statement, saying, “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. This has always come from a place of love and wanting to win – for me and my dance partners.”
Kristina reveals, “I think it comes down to a complete clash of personalities between Gio and his celeb partners. He’s a dance teacher, I know that he can be very militant – a lot of the professionals drill their celebrities in a hard way.
“When I left the show, a few cast members I knew were saying that there was an uncomfortable atmosphere between Gio and Laura.”
She adds, “I question why so many of them are coming out now when they could have spoken out at the time. The camera crew would have been with Giovanni the whole time so there will be footage to serve as evidence. It seems to be a lot of gossip without hard facts.”
Kristina, who left Strictly in 2015, had her fair share of drama, with her off-screen romances with boxer Joe Calzaghe and ex-rugby player Ben Cohen. Her relationship with Ben is going strong: the couple got engaged in 2022 and have seven-year-old daughter Milena together.
Despite leaving the show, she’s remained friends with the cast and tells Closer she will continue to support Gio, saying, “I would call Gio a genuine friend – he’s always there to listen and texts back. I feel sorry for him in this situation, I don’t think he deserves it.”
