Giovanni Pernice is surrounded by supportive friends and family away from Strictly Come Dancing.
The 33-year-old ballroom dancer has reportedly quit the long-running BBC dance competition after facing allegations over his controversial training methods from his previous celebrity partners. It has been reported that his previous dance partners Amanda Abbington, Laura Whitmore and Ranvir Singh met up to discuss his tough training methods.
The Italian joined the show back in 2015 and has since hit the headlines as much for life off-screen as he has for his dance moves. Born in sunny Sicily, Giovanni’s got a tight-knit family supporting him and has close friendships with fellow Strictly legends Anton Du Beke and Rose Ayling-Ellis.
READ MORE:Strictly’s Giovanni Pernice ‘probed’ over complaints by three former contestants
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With the BBC reportedly launching an investigation into claims about Giovanni, the Daily Star has taken a deep dive inside his life off screen.
Love life
(Image: Instagram)
Giovanni has had a string of famous girlfriends in the past, from Strictly sweetheart Georgia May Foote to Love Island’s Maura Higgins and Pussycat Doll diva Ashley Roberts. In 2022, he confessed to Anton that he didn’t feel “grown-up” enough to be a family man just yet.
Speaking on their travel show, he confessed: “Of course, I want to have a family one day you know, I just have to find the right person first. I’m just very focused on my career as you were at my age.”
(Image: @mollybrownxox/Instagram)
“I do get lonely sometimes, there’s no one to share it with. It’s a tricky thing, a fine line. Sometimes you want to be free to be able to focus on your career,” reports the Mirror. In February of this year, Giovanni Pernice made his relationship with 24-year-old model Molly Brown Instagram official.
She captioned the loved-up snap: “Amore Mio” which he replied with the same phrase that translates to ‘my love’ in Italian. The couple recently sparked engagement rumours after reigniting their brief romance.
Strict upbringing
(Image: @pernicegiovann1/Twitter)
Giovanni was born in Sicily and was known to be a mischievous child at school. He developed a passion for dance after watching a competition show on TV and moved to Bologna alone at the age of 14 to focus on his dance studies after securing a scholarship.
It was a challenging transition for the young boy, and there were moments when he cried on the phone to his mother, who urged him to persevere. As he pursued a career in ballroom dancing, he had to confront criticism about his masculinity.
He once stated: “There’s a kind of attitude that if you’re a dancer you’re not a proper man.” Giovanni soon became used to being alone but missed out on several family Christmases and birthdays in order to achieve his goals.
(Image: No credit)
Recalling his childhood, he told The Guardian: “As a young man, I got used to being alone and having to deal with difficult emotions by myself. The journey getting to where I am today took hard work and a lot of sacrifices, but it was worth it.
“From those teenage years onwards, I had competitions every week. Preparation for those events took so much discipline,” he further added.
His hard work certainly paid off. The dancer went on to compete globally, clinching the top spot as Italian national champion with Erika Attisano in 2012.
(Image: PA)
During his Sicilian adventure with Anton, viewers got a glimpse into his personal life. It was revealed that the star hadn’t celebrated his birthday at home for a decade, leading his father to organise a surprise 32nd party.
Reflecting on his son’s accomplishments, Pernice’s father gushed: “You have given us moments of great joy, and when you won Strictly Come Dancing it was exceptional.” The star was visibly moved by his father’s words, admitting his dad “is not a person that gives away his feelings.”
Strictly housemate
(Image: Instagram)
What loyal fans may be surprised to know is that Giovanni once shared a house with a fellow Strictly star. In 2021, it was announced that Southampton-born choreographer and dancer Kai Widdrington would be joining the show.
The dancer has since become a fan-favourite on the show and is currently in a relationship with fellow professional dancer, Nadiya Bychkova. It’s believed he is now living with the Ukrainian ballroom star, but this isn’t the first Strictly star he has lived with.
(Image: Instagram)
When he first joined Strictly, Kai shared a London flat with Giovanni. The two even spent Christmas together a couple of years ago when Kai flew out to visit his good friend in Italy, and they remain close.
Speaking on BBC Breakfast at the time, Kai gushed: “I get to dance alongside my flatmate, what more could you want?”
Friendship with Rose
(Image: Instagram)
Giovanni and Rose Ayling-Ellis formed an unbreakable bond during their time as dance partners on Strictly. The pro dancer and the EastEnders actress dazzled everyone, clinching the Glitterball trophy in 2021.
Speaking to The Telegraph, Rose shared: “I started off finding dancing very confusing. It was a strange new skill.
“But Giovanni was so good. He listened and learnt a lot from me. We learnt very quickly that, if we were together, I could follow him.”
(Image: giovannipernice/Instagram)
Rose’s participation marked a milestone as the first deaf contestant on the show, prompting Giovanni to embrace British Sign Language (BSL). He revealed: “I’m learning some BSL, a journey I started last year after being partnered with Rose, who is now a close friend.”
Their friendship continued to flourish post-Strictly with dinner dates and a special trip where Rose met Giovanni’s sister Angela in his hometown of Sicily.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
