Alert – Giovanni Pernice steps out for an al fresco lunch as under-fire dancer awaits findings of BBC probe into allegations of ‘abusive and bullying behaviour’ on Strictly Come Dancing

Giovanni Pernice stepped out with friends on Monday as his former BBC employers prepare to release the findings of a probe into allegations of misconduct on the set of Strictly Come Dancing. 

The Italian ballroom specialist lost his place on the beleaguered show after former celebrity contestant Amanda Abbington accused him of ‘bullying and abusive’ behaviour while they were partnered together.   

Abbington, 50, has since instructed London law firm Carter Ruck to represent her against the BBC, who are finalising an investigation into claims made by the actress and other former show contestants. 

Venturing out on Monday, Pernice, 33, was seen checking his phone during an al fresco lunch date with two friends outside a London restaurant. 

The Sicilian dancer, who is teaching dance classes following his Strictly dismissal, looked relaxed in a black T-shirt and joggers as he smoked a cigarette. 

Giovanni Pernice stepped out with friends on Monday as the BBC prepare to release the findings of a probe into allegations of misconduct on the set of Strictly Come Dancing

Pernice was seen checking his phone during an al fresco lunch date with two friends outside a London restaurant 

Pernice faces multiple accusations of unsavoury behaviour while working as a professional dancer on the show, with former celebrity partner Laura Whitmore recently admitting she too has spoken to the BBC. 

Although she hasn’t made a formal complaint, Whitmore, 39, hopes to get ‘just an acceptance’ of what happened to her in the rehearsals room.

The former Love Island presenter admitted she talked to six former Strictly stars about their time on the show and took their information to the BBC.

In an Instagram post, she wrote: ‘I was trying not to comment on recent press speculation until the BBC review is complete but feel there is a lot of misinformation in the press and I want to help and show support by setting the record straight.

‘I was asked to speak to the BBC along with six people that I know of (who deserve anonymity as they don’t want to be dragged through the press), about inappropriate behaviour they experienced similar to mine with the same individual.

‘I initially raised concerns back in 2016. I thought my experience was specific to me but I’ve since learned I was wrong.

‘The aim of this is to show a pattern of behaviour that I believe needs to stop. My evidence is to support other people’s experience. It’s a shame it takes this for someone to be heard.

‘I am not looking for anything just an acceptance that what happened to me in the rehearsal rooms during my time on BBC Strictly was wrong and that it won’t happen to anyone else again.

The Sicilian dancer chatted to friends while occupying an outdoor table on Monday afternoon  

Pernice, who is teaching dance classes following his Strictly dismissal, looked relaxed in a black T-shirt and joggers as he smoked a cigarette

Pernice faces multiple accusations of unsavoury behaviour while working as a professional dancer on the show

‘Because I have not made an official complaint, and am providing evidence of my experience to support the investigation, not all the communication will be passed on to all parties involved.

‘Misinformation is being put into the press so I want to set the record straight. Victim blaming must stop or we will never get better.

‘I’ve tried to speak up in the correct way. I know the BBC and all outlets continue to do their best to be better, but for that to happen we must speak up.’

Abbington – his last celebrity partner – quit Strictly last year due to ‘personal reasons’ before reports she had demanded footage of their rehearsals after the experience in the competition left her with PTSD.

Sources then claimed the actress, Ranvir Singh and Whitmore had an ’emotional summit’ where they ‘compared notes’ about their time working with Pernice on the show – prompting the BBC to launch a probe into his conduct.

Pernice and his two friends idled on the pavement as they finished their cigarettes 

Strictly was plunged into further crisis on Wednesday after Abbington claimed that Pernice was trying to block the release of up to 50 hours of ‘toxic’ footage’

The Italian dancer remains hopeful that the findings of a BBC probe will clear his name 

Should Pernice be cleared of any wrongdoing, he may well win back his place on Strictly 

In 2018, Whitmore claimed she didn’t enjoy her time on Strictly, leaving the competition in week seven feeling ‘broken’ and admitting she ‘cried every day’.

The Irish presenter wasn’t happy about being paired with her close friend Georgia May Foote’s ex not long after the pair had split – and felt ‘extremely uncomfortable’ dancing with him.

Writing for The Huffington Post at the time, she said: ‘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”.

‘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.’

Strictly was plunged into further crisis on Wednesday after Abbington claimed that Pernice was trying to block the release of up to 50 hours of ‘toxic’ footage’.

The Italian ballroom specialist lost his place on the beleaguered show after former celebrity contestant Amanda Abbington accused him of ‘bullying and abusive’ behaviour 

Former celebrity partner Laura Whitmore recently admitted that she too has spoken to the BBC

The former Love Island presenter admitted she talked to six former Strictly stars about their time on the show and took their information to the BBC 

In an emotionally charged interview, the actress compared the dance show to ‘the trenches’ telling Channel 4 News that BBC producers had been left ‘horrified’ by clips that also allegedly exhibited ‘humiliating behaviour of a sexual nature’.

‘There’s 50 hours of footage that’s being blocked. You know, 50 hours is a lot of footage, and a lot of time spent in a room that was toxic,’ she told presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy.

‘It’s out there. There is evidence out there of what happened in that room and I’m not the one who’s blocking it. I’ve said anyone can watch it, but he (Giovanni) doesn’t want anyone to see it, which is quite telling if he’s got nothing to hide.’

A spokesperson for Giovanni told : ‘We would urge people to wait for the review’s conclusion and not to pay heed to these very serious and defamatory allegations that have no evidence in support of them.’