Strictly’s pro dancers have reportedly been left “shocked” and “hurt” after being slammed by Giovanni Pernice in his new book.
Italian dancer Giovanni, 35, who quit Strictly in 2024, is releasing a tell-all book, which details his time on the show, as well as his feud with Amanda Abbington.
Giovanni Pernice hits out at Strictly pros
In his new book, Gio: Taking the Lead, the Italian has admitted that he felt abandoned by his fellow pros when he was axed from the show in 2024.
Giovanni left the show after becoming embroiled in a row with Sherlock actor Amanda, who accused him of bullying. The BBC upheld several of her allegations after an investigation.
“There are still people on Strictly whose behaviour is far worse. One choreographer has been bullying, screaming at all the pro dancers for years. Others drink before the live show,” he said.
He also claimed that one pro was left in “floods of tears” after being “screamed” at on the tour bus by a fellow dancer.
“But on the whole, screaming rows are rare. The resentments tend to come out in a more bitchy, backstabbing way, whispers behind the back and comments to the producer,” he claimed.
Giovanni lashes out
Giovanni also hit back at the idea that the pro dancers were a “family”.
“In my darkest days, there was no ‘family’. With the exception of the judges, it felt that they all turned their backs and looked the other way. There were a handful I had thought were good friends who went very quiet. I felt hugely betrayed by those I’d been closest to,” he added.
Now, the pro dancers are reportedly unhappy with Giovanni’s comments in his new book.
“Many of them have been taken aback by the things that Giovanni has accused them of. He has started a guessing game now with his allegations, and all of them have been tarnished,” a source claimed to The Sun.
‘Many of them have been taken aback’
The source then continued.
“Some feel that he is trying to bring them down with him. They are doing their best to stay focused on the new series and can’t publicly comment on his claims, but it’s certainly left bad blood between them,” they then said.
“Ironically, many of them still follow Gio on Instagram, and vice versa, and no one wants to be accused of snubbing him further. The book has just made a difficult situation ten times worse. The pros have been back in rehearsals over the last few weeks and even though there has been some chat about the book, they’ve been trying to focus on the new show. They’ve all got a job to do at the end of day.”
ED! has contacted Giovanni’s representatives for comment. The BBC declined to comment.
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