Former Strictly pro Giovanni Pernice confesses heartbreak to fans

Strictly star Giovanni Pernice confesses to his fans that he lost all of his friends and that "nobody wanted to be seen with me" in the aftermath of the Amanda Abbington allegations.

The professional dancer revealed to fans on the first night of his tour on Monday night in High Wycombe, that he had been left feeling shunned and heartbroken since the incident. He said: "I felt like the world collapsed....I didn’t have anybody around me. All the people that were supposed to be my friend disappeared."

The Mirror reports that he remembers feeling alone, adding: "Nobody wanted to see me, they were like ‘oh you can’t be with him'."

Allegations around Giovanni began rising when he was accused of being a bully to his dance partner, Amanda Abbington, who left the dancing competition due to medical reasons. An internal BBC investigation upheld six of the 17 complaints against him, but none were upheld that involved physical aggression.

Before the allegations, the 34-year-old said he left "like I was on the top of my game". The Italian dancer was on the BBC show for nine years, from 2015 to 2023. He made the final multiple times, but finally managed to lift the Glitterball Trophy in 2021 with Rose Ayling-Ellis, the first deaf competitor on the show.

He added: "I was untouchable, was a superhero....but fate did have different plans for me."

However, he says that he managed to get through the ordeal by remaining positive. He said: "I always had a voice in my head, saying ‘don’t worry....we know that all of this is going to finish. One day you’ll be back on top and you will feel again."

Another form of comfort came to him through his musical 'idol'. He explained: "There was always one voice. My idol here, Freddie (Mercury). He would say to me, ‘Giovanni , don’t worry. Whatever happens. Remember the show has to go on."

Gio has previously insisted that he was merely a "strict teacher" but was never a bully to the Sherlock star, 50. He said last year that "bully is a big word" and that there is a big difference between being a bully and caring about what you do.

He said: "I’m glad 11 allegations have been thrown out. At the beginning there were very serious allegations, for instance threatening her or abusing her, and all of this has been taken out.

"I’m a strict teacher. I said it myself. I care about my job. I’m very competitive."

Amanda has also come out saying that since she made the complaints she has been accused of "being a liar, a troublemaker and of being 'made and unstable' ".

She added: " I’ve also received rape and murder threats. My family and children have been subjected to threats and intimidation.

"Despite this vile abuse, I’ve never regretted coming forward, and today’s apology from the BBC is a vindication of my complaint. It’s also a vindication for the others who have contacted me to express concerns about their own ­experiences on Strictly."

Since leaving the show in 2023, Gio has won the Italian version of Strictly - Ballando Con Le Stelle - with partner Bianca Guaccero.

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