Giovanni Pernice has come clean about not wanting to watch the footage at the centre of recent allegations, despite being accused of preventing its release.
The Strictly star hung up his dancing shoes earlier this year following claims made by Amanda Abbington regarding their stint on the show. Amanda has since claimed there’s a whopping 50 hours of rehearsal footage before she bowed out of the series.
But now, the reason why this footage won’t hit the public eye has been spilled. Giovanni’s rep has stepped forward, clarifying that he hasn’t personally stopped the videos from going public.
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According to the Mail Online, an insider dished: “Giovanni has not seen or blocked [anyone from seeing] the video footage, which belongs to the BBC. Gio has chosen not to receive it to preserve the integrity of the review.”
(Image: Giovanni Pernice Instagram)
With the BBC probing into what went down during their practice sessions, Amanda took to the telly twice this week to air her side of the story. In a bombshell Channel 4 interview, she lobbed the accusation of ‘sexual bullying’ at the Italian dancer for the first time in public, reports the Mirror.
The allegations have reportedly incensed Giovanni Pernice. His team is now claiming to possess ‘bombshell’ evidence that they believe will ‘prove Amanda is a liar’.
(Image: ITV News)
A close associate of the dancer revealed: “Gio is so cross. He just can’t work out why she would come out and say these things. She didn’t give any further detail, it’s like she drops a bomb and then doesn’t follow it through. The verdict is just days away now, it’s the home straight for him but he is absolutely determined to clear his name.
“He and his team are adamant that there is something concrete which will prove that Amanda is telling lies. He can’t wait for the truth to come out, it will be a huge relief for him. Giovanni is not going let this go. It is basically war now. He will clear his name with all the evidence he has.”
(Image: BBC)
Giovanni has refuted Amanda’s allegations since they first surfaced, while the actress maintains she knows the truth about what transpired and insists that BBC production staff told her they were “shocked”, “horrified” and “so sorry” after reviewing footage of the rehearsals.
In a conversation with Channel 4, Amanda confessed that she could not divulge the full details about the nature of what she allegedly endured as it is still under investigation. Mirror Online has reached out to Giovanni’s representatives and the BBC for their comments on this story.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
