24 October 2023 , 16:34
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When Giovanni Pernice first arrived on Strictly Come Dancing, viewers were sure the Italian Stallion would quickly put his mark on the show. With a background in Latin dance - and as the Guinness World Record holder for Jive kicks and flicks, and Charleston swivels - fans of the show were looking forward to seeing him shine.
But while he has enjoyed a slew of successes, he's also been hit by rumours of feuds with celebrity partners over the years, including his latest celeb, Amanda Abbington, who dramatically quit Strictly after just four weeks of live performances.
Over the years, Gio has been dogged by claims that he's a hard taskmaster, drilling his partners over hours of rehearsing to get their steps absolutely perfect. While every Strictly fan knows how hard the celebs must practise, one of his previous partners has said she was left "broken" mentally and physically by her time on the show. Here we take a look back at his most controversial pairings...
Georgia May Foote
Georgia May Foote and Giovanni Pernice dated for a few months after their flirty chemistry on Strictly - but it all ended in tears (Getty)Giovanni's first celebrity partner when he joined the show in 2015 as the new professional was ex-Coronation Street star Georgia May Foote, and the pair quickly raised eyebrows with their sizzling chemistry. Georgia was dating her co-star Sean Ward, who played Callum Logan, at the time the couple were partnered, but their relationship hit the rocks in December of that year after he was spotted in the Strictly audience cheering on his girlfriend.
Their split was chalked up to her and Gio's undeniable chemistry, and just weeks later the finalists - who came runners-up to The Wanted singer Jay McGuiness and his partner Aliona Vilani - were seen kissing during a Disneyland Paris trip in the New Year. Their whirlwind romance picked up a pace and the pair moved in together within weeks of the end of the series, with Georgia gushing it was "the best thing that had ever happened" to her. Rumours of an engagement quickly swirled when a ring was spotted on her left hand, although the couple said it was a 'commitment band' rather than a promise of marriage.
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But it wasn't long before cracks started to show in the shiny exterior of their relationship. Georgia admitted struggling with feelings of jealousy in the summer of 2016 ahead of the new series of Strictly, saying: "Of course I'll get jealous. Whoever Giovanni gets is a very lucky girl. He's a great teacher.
The pair got together weeks after Georgia's split from her Corrie co-star (Instagram)
They were even rumoured to be engaged when this ring appeared on Georgia's finger - but the pair insisted it was a 'commitment band' (Instagram)"I'm excited for whoever he gets and, yeah, he's a great teacher, so I'm happy for him. I think it's fine," she added. But their crumbling relationship was anything but fine and, just weeks later, Giovanni announced the pair had split - just as he was partnered with future Love Island host Laura Whitmore for the 2016 series. Speculation flew that he had made the shock decision to split by himself, with the then-25-year-old Georgia left reeling, according to pals.
"It was a huge shock for Georgia. They'd been talking about moving things forward and marriage, so for him to dump her doesn't make sense," one told New! mag. "She's devastated and in shock because it was not something she was expecting. There's a definite feeling among her friends and family that it was very convenient timing for him."
But Georgia took back the narrative, tweeting her own statement to fans in late August that year. "It is with great sadness we have decided to split up," she wrote, a year after they first met. "There is nobody else involved. Although it was not an easy decision to make, sometimes you realise that it is better to be friends and this is one of those times. We both have very busy work schedules for the rest of the year so we are both going to focus on our upcoming work projects and we wish each other well for the future."
Laura Whitmore
Laura Whitmore admitted she didn't like how much time she had to spend with Giovanni (BBC)The newly single Giovanni's next Strictly partner was Irish model and presenter Laura, who were one of the bookies' favourites to lift the Glitterball trophy. But their bond didn't work out and there were rumours of a strained atmosphere between the two, sparked by Giovanni's alleged 'rudeness' during rehearsals. To make matters worse, Laura was close friends with Georgia and had to plaster on a smile for the cameras while knowing all about the split between her bestie and her ex.
By the time they were voted out in Week 7 the two were barely speaking, according to backstage sources. "The atmosphere between Laura and Gio was never that great, but it's now turned toxic," one told the Sun after the pair left the show. "They clashed during rehearsals as Laura got increasingly agitated with Gio's tone.
"They pulled it together for the live shows but behind the scenes it was a different story. There's certainly no love lost between them and it's doubtful they'll remain in contact when the series is wrapped up later this month."
Giovanni was reportedly also frustrated with Laura's lack of enthusiasm for promoting their partnership - vital for those all-important viewer votes - as she disliked filming behind-the-scenes videos with her dance partner. "Gio got frustrated with Laura over-analysing everything and not playing the PR game," another source told the Sun.
The pair seemed tense in rehearsals, and sources later claimed Gio was frustrated by Laura's reluctance to film promotional content to win over voters (BBC)The pair went their separate ways and in 2018 Laura broke her silence over their strained relationship, writing in a first-person piece for the Huffington Post that she felt "extremely uncomfortable" being partnered with her friend's ex, and saying she "cried every day" she was in the competition.
"I love dancing – I topped the leaderboard twice – but I was thrown into the middle of a break-up that had nothing to do with me. Once again, I was a 'rumoured love interest'," she wrote.
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"I was placed with a dance partner I was extremely uncomfortable with – and in the end I felt broken, I cried every day. And I really was broken, both mentally and physically, by the end."
In 2020 she went into further detail about her time on the show, lashing out at BBC bosses for forcing her to spend so much time with Giovanni when all she wanted to do was dance. Speaking on the Private Parts podcast, Laura said she and her professional partner were together 12 hours a day and also had to appear on red carpet events together. "What I didn't like was being removed from everybody and having to spend 12 hours a day with this one person," she said. "It did not become about the dancing. I just wanted to dance.
"I did not want to play the game of doing red carpets with your dance partner and stuff like that, which a lot of people thought you should be doing. I did not want to do that."
Faye Tozer
Steps singer Faye Tozer admitted feeling exhausted in the run-up to the semi-final (BBC)In 2018, Giovanni was placed with Steps singer Faye, having made it to the final with Debbie McGee the previous year. He and Faye's working relationship stayed the course throughout the 16th series, although by the end there was speculation the pair were "ranting behind each other's back".
"Faye and Giovanni have been struggling with the pressure and have both been ranting behind each other's back," one insider told the Sun - although it was rubbished by a BBC rep. Faye, the mole claimed, was "feeling quite emotional" after "relentless training", and Faye did tweet in the December asking for fans' tips on combating fatigue.
"Wow... this week is super, proper, crazy, hard," she wrote. "I am exhausted! Any top tips for fatigue and focus??? I am all ears!!! xxx @bbcstrictly #semifinalsweek." But the pair managed to pull through and made it to the final, narrowly missing out on the trophy to Stacey Dooley and Kevin Clifton.
After the series wrapped, it emerged Gio had been secretly dating another Strictly celeb: Pussycat Dolls singer Ashley Roberts, which at least put to bed rumours he and married Faye were becoming more than friends. When his and Ashley's romance went public, Faye laughed: "Ashley is a hot chick, she is a sexy mama and Giovanni is a young, single, fabulous guy, so yeah. They would make a great couple."
Michelle Visage
Michelle Visage clashed with Giovanni as they are 'both fiery Italians', but insisted he was her "rock" (BBC)Giovanni was partnered up with Drag Race UK judge Michelle in 2019, and speculation was rife that their gruelling rehearsals were strained as the pair were "locking horns" from day one. "Michelle has become quite unhappy at times. She has a fiery relationship with Giovanni," a source told the Sun by the November.
"Both are very strong characters and they’ve both had a lot to say. He’s probably not used to a partner being quite so in control and calling the shots." Michelle herself addressed the rumour mill, admitting they were "at each other's throats" because of their shared ethnicity and star sign.
"We’re both Italian. We’re both intense. We’re both Virgos. So there’s a perfectionist level that’s really ridiculous between us," she said. "He wants it quicker than I’m able to provide it. So Mondays and Tuesdays is a lot of us at each other’s throats. By the end of the week, we're totally in love with each other again and it’s fine.
"I’ve never walked out. We just like to fight. We like to fight it out, but it’s just that’s all in love. Our relationship is very fiery. It is weird, but it’s perfect."
But the speculation continued to ramp up, prompting Michelle to set the record straight. "The articles about my partner and I have been upsetting," she said in an Instagram statement ahead of their Blackpool performance, after which they were voted off. "If anyone knows us, you would know how close Giovanni and I are. Gio is my best friend in this competition, he is my rock and I trust him with everything. We have the most fun and laughs together and to suggest otherwise is just sad."
Ranvir Singh
There were rumours Ranvir and Gio were more than just friends when they danced together in 2020 (BBC)Good Morning Britain newsreader Ranvir was placed with Gio for the 2020 series, which faced its own unique problems as it was during the height of the Covid pandemic. It meant the celebrities and their professional partners had to bubble together to prevent the spread of the virus, so one half of each couple had to live alone while the other half could remain with their household.
Despite the obstacles they faced - including social distancing and a reduced runtime from the usual 12 weeks down to just nine - the 2020 Strictly series quickly hotted up, with romance rumours sparking between Ranvir and Gio thanks to their sizzling chemistry on the dance floor.
Giovanni was forced to deny they were anything more than colleagues, telling Entertainment Daily: "Every year there's always a romance rumour with a different partner. I mean, even if you don't have a partner there's a rumour. The thing is you get very close when you dance with another person, but dancing is equal to acting. You have to deliver a performance. Each dance is a different story."
He added: "No, no, no no no. I'm single, absolutely there's no way [he would date Ranvir]. We are very very good friends. Every time you get close in a Rumba or Argentine tango with your partner they try to make out a story. So if they think that there is a romance, it means we are doing it absolutely right."
But fans were baffled when Ranvir unfollowed him on social media after the series wrapped, although she later re-followed him. There were further eyebrows raised when she failed to post anything supportive about his 2021 partnership with EastEnders star Rose Ayling-Ellis.
Richie Anderson
Richie was said to frustrate Gio with his constant talking during rehearsals (BBC)In 2022, Gio was given his first male partner in radio star Richie Anderson, but once again their partnership was hit with rumours of a 'feud' amid fears they "hadn't clicked" since being put together.
The pair attempted to quell the speculation when Richie shared a clip of their cha-cha-cha to Instagram, captioning it: "A moment I'll never forget and so grateful I got to share it with Giovanni. Thank you Gio for being the most amazing teacher over the past fortnight. Last night was a dream come true moment."
Insiders claimed Gio was being left frustrated by Richie's approach to rehearsals, with one saying: "The pair haven't clicked. Richie is so swept up by the whole experience that he is talking 100 words a minute, and it can be hard for Giovanni.
"He has told pals that Richie talks instead of listening during training, and it is frustrating."
But a Strictly source rubbished the rumours, adding: "Talk of them not getting on is nonsense. They are having such a laugh and were thrilled at the reaction on Saturday night."
Amanda Abbington
Giovanni and Amanda's partnership crashed into the rocks when she dramatically quit Strictly (giovannipernice/instagram)Giovanni's latest partnership came to a dramatic end on Monday October 24 when it was announced live on Strictly: It Takes Two that actress Amanda Abbingdon wasn't returning to the contest after pulling out of the weekend's show.
He and Sherlock star Amanda had been partnered together for the 2023 series, but it wasn't long before their professional relationship was hit with rumours of tension and strife.
One source claimed Amanda, 49, had been left shaken by Gio's "militant and aggressive" training style and had wanted to pull out of the competition even before the first live show. "Giovanni is a hard taskmaster and takes the competition very, very seriously," they said.
"Amanda was really looking forward to dancing with him, but has found his aggressive training style and attitude pretty difficult to handle. He is quite militant in his approach to training. She’s been left very shaken, and has liaised with her team about quitting."
The pair got through the first four weeks but Amanda pulled out of the week five show due to "medical issues". Less than 48 hours later, Fleur East revealed she had dramatically quit the series, and Amanda later broke her silence to reveal it was due to "personal reasons".
Amanda was said to have been left "shaken" by Gio's "militant" approach to training (BBC)"It is with deepest regret that I had to leave Strictly. I did not come to this decision easily or lightly but for personal reasons I am unable to continue," she wrote on Instagram. "It was an absolute joy working with my fellow contestants, they are a beautiful, hardworking and talented group of people who I love and who I will miss seeing every Friday and Saturday and competing alongside.
"I want to thank the incredible Production team and everyone on Strictly who looked after me and who are so kind and caring. It’s a wonderful bunch of people and I’ll miss all of them," she added. "I’m so sad that I am unable to go any further. Thank you to everyone who voted and who sent wonderful messages and inspiring support. You are all amazing. Truly. Thank you. xxx."
Her fiance Jonathan Goodwin commented underneath her photo of her gold dancing shoes: "You are so incredible. So unbelievably beautiful but also incredibly brave. I’m so proud to be your man xx."
Notably, there was no mention of Giovanni in her statement, although he paid tribute to her on his own Insta. Sharing a backstage snap of them cuddling up together, the Italian dancer wrote: "Amanda .. I am so sad we can’t continue but I am proud of what we achieved and I am sending you so much love @amanda_abbington74 @bbcstrictly."
Amanda is yet to comment on his statement at the time of writing.
*Strictly Come Dancing continues this Saturday at 6.40pm on BBC One