Giovanni's side of the story
Giovanni Pernice, 34, has spoken out for the first time about the Strictly bullying investigation and revealed the final words he spoke to his former dance partner Amanda Abbington. Amanda, 50, accused Giovanni of bullying her behind the scenes on Strictly Come Dancing, which led to a formal complaint.
Amanda's allegations and Giovanni's response
Amanda claimed that their rehearsals were so bad that she was relieved when a cancer scare allowed her to quit the show. Giovanni, on the other hand, recalled the moment Amanda told him about her health scare and immediately arranged for her to have a scan. He denied making sexual remarks but admitted to having "very rude banter" with Amanda.
Recording rehearsals and backlash
Giovanni revealed that he began secretly recording their sessions after realizing Amanda wasn't enjoying rehearsals. This move was to protect himself from any potential misrepresentation. The backlash from Amanda and other former celebrity dance partners led to a five-month bullying storm that took a toll on Giovanni and his family.
Clearing his name
The BBC cleared Giovanni of ten of the 16 allegations made against him by Amanda and issued an apology to her. Giovanni described the claims as devastating and shared that the experience left him constantly crying and distraught. He is set to speak further on the matter on Lorraine Kelly's daytime chat show.
