Giovanni Pernice has told pals he “expects to be cleared” of allegations of misconduct and bullying.
The Italian stallion, 33, has been at the heart of the ongoing Strictly Come Dancing probe that has engulfed the BBC in recent weeks. Pernice was the first of many stars investigation over claims of abuse and misconduct in rehearsals.
The claims had initially been brought to the attention of the BBC by former partner Amanda Abbington, who left the last series mid-way through the competition. She explained that the experiences she had on the show were so poor she was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
READ MORE: Giovanni Pernice slams Amanda Abbington’s claims of ‘cruel and abusive’ behaviour
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Since then, several other high-profile partners have come forward with their own claims of bullying and abuse in training, including former Love Island host Laura Whitmore and Good Morning Britain star Ranvir Singh. Giovanni strongly denies all the allegations made against him and has instructed a top legal firm to defend him against all the claims.
(Image: PA)
In an update to the ongoing case, Giovanni met with the BBC last week, where he was presented with their claims of misconduct and the overall results of the investigation. The internal inquiry has been ongoing for months, after speaking to witnesses and former stars – though, the claims made by Sherlock actress Amanda were reportedly not included.
Sources close to the star explained that due to the BBC’s own internal checks, the channel felt no need to rehash the results that both bosses and Gio already knew. Speaking to the Mirror, an insider said: “This would suggest her more serious claims are without merit – and is a massive boost to Giovanni’s case.
(Image: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
“They have clearly done their own due diligence on some of her allegations and decided they didn’t warrant inclusion in what was needed to be shared with Giovanni for response,” they added. However, Amanda has continued to stipulate that she had been mistreated by the Sicilian star.
In an explosive interview that was published by the Sun on Sunday over the weekend, Amanda hit out at Pernice – branding him “abusive, cruel and mean”. She added that she went to bosses about his behaviour in an attempt to stop him from “doing that to other people”.
She added: “I know the BBC knew about Giovanni’s behaviour for years, people had complained about him and flagged his behaviour to producers in the past and nothing was done. It wasn’t an isolated experience with me – I should never ever have danced with him.”
(Image: Getty Images)
Responding to the claims, a spokesperson for the professional dancer said that he had co-operated with the BBC “fully”, and that Giovanni continues to hit back at the allegations made against him. “He has provided substantive evidence to the investigation, and he remains fully confident of clearing his name,” the spokesperson insisted.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
