BBC Strictly Come Dancing's Giovanni Pernice publicly supported by ex partner following Amanda Abbington claims
09.01.2024 - 12:26
/ dailyrecord.co.uk
Debbie McGee has publicly supported her former Strictly Come Dancing dance partner Giovanni Pernice on social media.
The support from Debbie comes as Giovanni's partner from last year's series Amanda Abbington, 51, quit due to “personal reasons” and now claims to have PTSD after being paired with the Italian dancer on the BBC show.
The actress is also said to be threatening legal action and demanding to see video footage of their rehearsals, writes The Mirror.
Sources have said that the BBC have been left “puzzled” by the request and accept that, while Giovanni is a perfectionist and there are occasional “moans” about his regime, his conduct has never crossed the line to warrant any investigation.
The source went on to say that none of his previous dance partners had made any formal complaint.
Debbie, who was paired with him on Strictly in 2017 and made it all the way to the final, leaped to his defence by posting a picture of the two of them together from their time on the BBC show.
She captioned the post: “Happy memories. Giovanni and I had the best of times on Strictly.”
And the dancer appeared to be pleased with Debbie's post, replying: “Love you... thank you” followed by three red love hearts.
A BBC spokesman said: “The BBC offers a comprehensive range of support to all individuals taking part in our shows. Strictly Come Dancing has always taken duty of care incredibly seriously and there is a constant dialogue between senior members of the production team and the contestants to ensure any concerns are addressed swiftly. Strictly has a proud track record as a joyful, positive experience where robust support and assistance is always made available at every stage of the production.”
Many BBC insiders are “bemused” by