Giovanni Pernice Triumphs on Italian Dance Show

Giovanni Pernice has secured victory in the Italian iteration of Strictly Come Dancing, several months after a BBC internal inquiry into complaints regarding his conduct on the program. The professional dancer, Pernice, described his Ballando Con Le Stelle triumph with his partner and girlfriend, Bianca Guaccero, as a dream, stating: “After a difficult year I’m back”. In September, the BBC upheld complaints of harassment and verbal bullying lodged against him by his 2023 partner, Amanda Abbington, though he was cleared of allegations of physical aggression. It had been confirmed in June that Pernice would not be participating in this year’s Strictly. Pernice and Guaccero, an actress and singer, won the 19th season of Ballando Con Le Stelle after performing dances including the Argentine Tango and the Charleston. The duo had recently confirmed their romantic relationship. Italian-born Pernice shared multiple posts on Instagram about his win and expressed gratitude to his UK fanbase for their support. The BBC issued an apology to Pernice’s former partner, Amanda Abbington, in September. Abbington, known for her role as Mary Morstan in Sherlock, subsequently stated that she felt vindicated and had “no regrets” after making the complaints. In response to the BBC’s findings, Pernice said he was “relieved” that allegations of him being threatening and abusive were found not to be true. He asserted in a TV interview in October that he was a “strict teacher” but not a bully, acknowledging that frustration is common for both contestants and professionals due to the pressure “to perform perfectly on the Saturday night”. On Instagram on Sunday, Pernice declared: “We did it!! WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS !! after a difficult year.” He further added: “It felt amazing to be in the final again doing what I love – and then to win as well was a dream and definitely something I will never forget!” On Saturday, he had addressed his “dear friends in the UK,” noting that he and his partner could discern the origin of the show’s votes, as it is “all about likes on social media.” Pernice wrote: “We just want to say a massive thank you, because realistically, we couldn’t do anything without you.” “We can totally see which part of the votes are coming from the UK and you are being unbelievably amazing.” Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.