06 February 2024 , 13:09
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Michelle Visage says 'not everyone can handle' Giovanni Pernice.
The Strictly Come Dancing professional found himself at the centre of a 'feud' after dancing with Amanda Abbington last series. The actress claimed the show left her with PTSD and demanded footage of rehearsals to prove Giovanni's training methods were too 'full-on'.
Michelle joined Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary on This Morning on Tuesday to discuss her latest role as Morticia in the Addams family in London's West End. Addressing Giovanni's 'feud', she said: "'I have danced once a week since I left the show.
"Giovanni does not want to dance with me. I have a teacher that I have for two hours twice a week. It's mostly Latin. I get to bring that to Morticia in a four minute Tango."
Michelle danced with Giovanni on Strictly in 2019 (ITV)She continued: "I don’t like gossip so I’m not here to gossip but what I can say from my experience is yes he’s tough, he’s probably the toughest pro there is. I wanted that. So it depends, some people can handle it. Some people don’t want that, I wanted that.
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"We fought every day and it was for good reason, because we got to where we wanted to be and it was beautiful." Michelle was eliminated during the infamous Blackpool Week in 2019, and was also the focus of rumours of a feud with Giovanni.
However, she insisted she and Giovanni had "such an incredible relationship" during her stint on the BBC show, adding: “I wouldn’t have wanted anyone else.” Meanwhile, Amanda left Strictly during week five in October and failed to return for the final where the season's celebrities took part in a group dance.
It's alleged the actress struggled with Giovanni's "militant approach to training". An inside source told The Telegraph: "It could be that she didn't know what she let herself in for. He [Giovanni] was quite tough and she found that difficult. If she wasn't very well, that wouldn't have helped.
"She was with a partner that had a certain training style that she couldn't cope with. Whether that came to a head or whether there's something else going on I don't know."
It's reported Amanda has requested footage of their rehearsals to back up her claims as she seeks legal advice. Giovanni recently addressed his training techniques during an appearance on The One Show.
He said: "I'm definitely a perfectionist. Like everybody else, I like to win. But for me it's more about bringing the best out of partners, especially if I see that there is talent there. I want to do my job properly."
Former partner's Rose Ayling-Ellis, who he lifted the Glitterball Trophy with in 2021, and 2017 finalist Debbie McGee have both spoken out in his defence.