Giovanni Pernice backed by ex-Strictly star as she aims cryptic swipe at dance partners

Michelle Visage, who starred in the 17th season of Strictly Come Dancing alongside Giovanni, revealed that she "trusted" her dance partner during her time on the show

An ex-Strictly star has aimed a cryptic dig at Giovanni Pernice's former dance partners and said they're both "fiery Italians".

Michelle Visage, who danced with Giovanni in the show's 17th series, recently shared insights into her experience with the professional dancer's "tough" training style on the beloved BBC contest.

The Daily Record reported that the BBC had conducted an investigation after Giovanni's partner on the show, Amanda Abbington, departed in 2023, accusing him of being "abusive".

The inquiry upheld six out of 17 complaints but cleared him of physical abuse allegations. Meanwhile, Michelle expressed her confidence in Giovanni during their time together on Strictly.

Speaking to Closer magazine, Michelle said: "It was fantastic. We argued all the time because we're fiery Italians, but I wanted him as my partner, and he wanted me. Is he tough? Yeah. Did I want that? Yeah. You know what you're getting when you get Gio," reports the Manchester Evening News.

"He's not for everybody, but he's definitely for me. I had the best time of my life without any exception. If you're fragile and you don't want to put in the graft, it's not for you. I trusted Giovanni and we looked beautiful together."

Giovanni has recently defended himself amid the allegations, stating that he is a "strict teacher" but denying any bullying behaviour. This comes as he reappears on British television in Channel 4's Celebrity Hunted.

Giovanni Pernice, star of Strictly Come Dancing, confessed to the Sunday Mirror: "I'm not going to lie, there were dark moments in terms of, you know, this is finished, this is the end of my career. That was one of my down moments. Sorry for my language but 2024 can f**k off. I've been looking forward to seeing the back of it."

Following the conclusion of an investigation, the BBC issued an apology to Amanda Abbington, with Giovanni acknowledging that he had experienced "dark times" and was "expecting and waiting that all of this would finish".

Speaking to the audience at Ru Paul’s Drag Con UK, Michelle said they "wanted to do something different". She added: "Strictly is amazing, but it’s been the same for a very long time."

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it but being the queer ally I am, I wanted to leave a mark," she further added. Michelle also disclosed her ambition to "push things forward" on the show.