Strictly Come Dancing isn’t back on our screens until the autumn, but the show is currently facing more drama than ever before. Former fan favourite professional dancer Giovanni Pernice has reportedly left the show as three of his former celebrity partners were said to have gathered to discuss their “difficult experiences” with him – and insiders tell Closer that things are taking a toll on the show’s long-time host, Tess Daly.
An insider says, “Tess is really feeling the pressure right now. Strictly is like a family and Tess sees herself as the matriarch – but she’s had to tread extremely carefully since the claims against Giovanni surfaced, rather than jumping to any conclusions or anyone’s defence.
“She’s worried for everyone involved – she’s been trying to rally people and advise them in the best way she can. She knows there are some cast members supporting Giovanni and some that are not, and she doesn’t want it to look like she’s sitting on the fence, because she’s not.”
The scandal surrounding Giovanni, 33, came to a head in the autumn, when his celebrity partner Amanda Abbington quit the show. Reports later claimed that Amanda, 53, had requested rehearsal footage and was allegedly seeking legal advice, having been diagnosed with mild PTSD after quitting the show.
The Sherlock star has also allegedly met up with two of Giovanni’s former celebrity partners, Laura Whitmore and Ranvir Singh, for a “tearful” summit to discuss their experiences with Giovanni.
According to reports, Giovanni, who won Strictly in 2021 with EastEnders star Rose Ayling-Ellis, has since quit the show, although the BBC has refused to confirm or deny this. Gio is said to be “fully co-operating” with the BBC investigation – which is likely to take six months – and has hired a top legal firm to represent him.
Giovanni recently addressed the scandal directly in a post on Instagram, where he admitted to being “ambitious” and “competitive” but “rejected any suggestion of abusive or threatening behaviour”. “I look forward to clearing my name,” he wrote.
The Strictly pros, it seems, are split. Dancers Luba Mushtuk, Nancy Xu and Carlos Gu have continued liking Amanda’s posts and while none of the 2023 pros liked Giovanni’s recent post defending himself, some fans speculated that the dancers may have been warned against publicly supporting Giovanni.
However, since the allegations were first reported, two of his former partners, Debbie McGee and Michelle Visage, have both defended Giovanni, as has his friend Anton du Beke, who starred with him on recent BBC travel series Anton & Giovanni’s Adventures, which has now been put on hold. Head judge Shirley Ballas, meanwhile, branded the Italian dancer an “absolute gentleman”.
As the show’s host, Tess, 55, has chosen to keep tightlipped about the goings on, but insiders say she’s feeling torn. Having presented the show for 20 years, first with the late Bruce Forsyth then alongside Claudia Winkleman, Tess is a “seasoned pro” when it comes to weathering a publicity storm.
After all, she’s dealt with her own scandals during her time on Strictly. Back in 2010, one year after their second daughter was born, her husband Vernon Kay, 50, was forced to apologise publicly after it was revealed that he had been sexting model Rhian Sugden – something Vernon later apologised for, saying, “I’ve been an idiot and I’ve let my family down.”
The insider adds, “Tess doesn’t need a crisis PR expert to advise her that the best thing she can do right now is to keep silent until the claims have been thoroughly investigated and the BBC decides to release a statement. She is determined not to get herself pressured into making a personal statement. She’s a professional and believes it’s up to the top bosses to be looking into all this and deciding how they move forward.”
Closer previously reported how Tess had been worried about her future on Strictly. With co-host Claudia’s renewed status as golden girl of TV, largely due to the success of The Traitors, insiders previously told Closer that Tess was concerned that Claudia could leave the show, and would be “devastated” if her friend quit.
Vernon’s career has also reportedly been struggling in recent months. Since taking over the mid-morning slot on BBC Radio 2 from broadcasting legend Ken Bruce, audience figures show that a whopping 1.3 million have turned off. But despite her fears over the future, Tess is vowing to stay strong.
“She’s been doing her best to put a brave face on it all, and has been leaning on her friends who all recently encouraged her to have a night out in London to have a break from the tension,” the source says.
“Tess had found herself stuck at home worrying, and it didn’t take long for her close friends to come to her rescue.
“Tess had definitely earned herself a stiff drink or two with her friends and it felt good for her to blow off a bit of steam. But it still hasn’t solved the problem for her, and Tess knows that she’s going to have to painfully wait it out for there to be a proper resolution when it comes to Gio, and Vernon’s radio show.”