One of Strictly Come Dancing’s judging panel has said she is backing Giovanni Pernice as he comes under fire for his training practices.
Giovanni, 33, has been at the centre of a huge scandal surrounding the show after Amanda Abbington first accused Pernice of misconduct during rehearsals. She has since branded him a “nasty” person, and demanded that the BBC give over tapes of the pair during their rehearsals, which she described as “brutal”.
Following Amanda’s accusations, which Gio vehemently denies, several other former partners have come forward with their own stories of discomfort. Amongst those who have made similar claims include former Love Island host Laura Whitmore and Good Morning Britain presenter Ranvir Singh.
READ MORE: Amanda Abbington brands Giovanni Pernice ‘nasty’ as she ‘breaks silence’
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However, whilst many of his Strictly family have distanced themselves from him, Pernice has found an ally in Strictly head judge Shirley Ballas. Seemingly unfazed by the allegations made against Giovanni, Shirley has been confirmed to be attending an exclusive dance workshop being hosted by the Italian hunk.
(Image: @shirleyballas/Instagram)
Giovanni, together with fellow Strictly pro Kai Widdrington, is putting on the exclusive event late next month at the BBC Studios in London. Titled Bailando, the pair will run through some of their top tips for mastering the art of dance, and will be filled with special guests – including Shirley.
As well as this, fellow judge and good pal Anton du Beke has been confirmed to be attending the one-day event. The pair have continued to remain friends since the beginning of the scandal, having made several TV shows together.
(Image: BBC/BBC Studios)
Shirley is now the latest Strictly star to back Giovanni after partner Kai Widdrington also shared photos of the pair in rehearsals for the upcoming event. Similarly, Kai’s girlfriend and fellow pro Nadiya Bychohova, 34, has not shyed away from the Italian, being friendly towards Gio.
An internal investigation is currently being carried out against the star by the BBC, who have now begun to comb through nine years of training footage to pre-empt any potential future cases. Both Whitmore and Abbington have hired the same law firm to carry out their investigations and represent them, preparing dossiers to give to the inquiry on their treatment on the show.
In the meantime, Giovanni continues to strongly deny all the allegations of misconduct made against him. In order to defend himself, he has also instructed a top-flight law firm to represent him in all legal proceedings regarding the case.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
