Giovanni Pernice has thanked fans for their support amid his ongoing feud with former Strictly Come Dancing partner Amanda Abbington.
The actress, 51, is said to have claimed the show left her with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and has reportedly demanded recordings of their rehearsals to review.
It is claimed Amanda has sought legal advice over the dancer’s alleged behaviour towards her and believes video footage could ‘back up’ her claims.
Giovanni has now spoken out about the claims as he shared a message on Instagram thanking his fans for their kind words of support.
He wrote: ‘One week today we open ‘LET ME ENTERTAIN YOU’. We’re working hard but it is going to be epic.
Giovanni Pernice has thanked fans for their support amid his ongoing feud with former Strictly Come Dancing partner Amanda Abbington
The actress, 51, is said to have claimed the show left her with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and has reportedly demanded recordings of their rehearsals to review
‘I just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who has sent message of support of the last wee – I really truly appreciate it – thank you thank you thank you Gio.’
The dancer was inundated with kind messages, with one user writing: ‘I think you’re amazing and well done, stay strong and positive.’
Another wrote: ‘Love you Gio, you’re a professional dancer for Christ’s sake, it’s your job. Take no notice.’
A third user added: ‘We all love you, you keep being you, you beautiful man,’ while a forth wrote: ‘Keep shining Gio’.
According to Strictly insiders, Amanda called for cameras to be put up in rehearsal rooms as she became increasingly unhappy with Giovanni’s attitude.
After her request, The Sun claims BBC bosses had a meeting with Giovanni over his conduct, but no action was taken.
A source told the publication: ‘Some of the professionals and crew feel it needs to be dealt with and Giovanni shouldn’t come back this year.
‘The BBC are standing behind Giovanni and won’t be pursuing an investigation, it’s a shock to some on the show who think something needs to be done about his behaviour.
Giovanni has now spoken out about the claims as he shared a message on Instagram thanking his fans for their kind words of support
The dancer was inundated with kind messages, with one user writing: ‘I think you’re amazing and well done, stay strong and positive’
‘Amanda had a really tough time with him and she isn’t the only one. Four more of his partners have either talked openly about how hard it was working with him or have made it clear in the industry.’
Amanda made a sudden departure from the last year’s series, citing ‘personal reasons’.
It was reported she had quit after clashing with Giovanni, but she dismissed claims of a fallout at the time.
Sources at the BBC are ready to fight the Sherlock actress over her claims the show had traumatised her, saying that – at the time – she told them she was quitting due to a different medical reason.
A source told the Mail: ‘Amanda’s reason for quitting Strictly was an entirely different one to her PTSD.
‘She told production of a totally different medical condition and they [were] hugely supportive of her and did all they could to help.
‘Nobody seems to quite understand what is going on here.’
It is understood that first BBC chiefs knew about her PTSD was late last year when they received a request for the tapes.
It is claimed Amanda has sought legal advice over the dancer’s alleged behaviour towards her and believes video footage could ‘back up’ her claims
It is not the first time Giovanni has had issues with his celebrity partners. In 2016, Laura Whitmore said: ‘I’m still not ready to talk in-depth about my experience on the show’
Ranvir admitted that she had a ‘total meltdown’ during rehearsals with professional partner Giovanni (pictured together in 2020)
There is added confusion because Amanda quickly shot down suggestions – made before the show aired in September – that she and Giovanni had fallen out.
On Instagram, she dismissed the claims as ‘bulls****’ and told people to, ‘Shut up, it’s b******s.’
During broadcasts, she and the Italian dancer – who has worked on the show since 2015 – were seen hugging and appearing to be friends.
One Strictly source said: ‘All you’d see at the studio were the pair of them hugging and kissing.’
It has reportedly taken months for Amanda to recover from her time on the programme and she has apparently needed therapy following the ‘behaviour she was exposed to’.
A source told The Sun: ‘Everyone else was having a fabulous time but she was really stressed by having to spend eight hours a day with Giovanni. She spent a lot of time crying and couldn’t sleep or eat properly.’
The partners were said to have been at loggerheads for weeks during rehearsals, with the actress ‘left shaken’ by the professional dancer’s ‘militant and aggressive’ training style.
Known to be a ‘perfectionist’, it is not the first time Giovanni has had issues with his celebrity partners.
In 2016, TV presenter Laura Whitmore said: ‘I’m still not ready to talk in-depth about my experience on the show.
‘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 was really broken, both mentally and physically, by the end.’
In 2020, Giovanni fell out with Good Morning Britain presenter Ranvir Singh as she admitted to having a ‘total meltdown’ in rehearsals with him.
The ITV presenter told her co-star Kate Garraway that she and the dancer had a ’20-minute divorce’ as things became tense in training.
She said gruelling rehearsals pushed her to walk out and take some time to gather herself after Giovanni ‘put me in my place’.
Amanda has been contacted for comment. Giovanni declined to comment.