Giovanni Pernice feared 'losing everything in dark moments' during Strictly bullying row

• Showbiz
• Strictly Come Dancing

As he prepares to return to our screens, Giovanni Pernice has spoken out about the "dark days" he faced after his partner Amanda Abbington quit the show and accused him of being "abusive"

Giovanni Pernice has spoken up about his fears about losing it all(Image: BBC)

Strictly Come Dancing's Giovanni Pernice has spoken up about his fears of losing it all in the wake of the show's bullying scandal, as he makes a return to television tonight (January 4). Following his controversial exit from the popular dance show last summer, the Italian hoofer has confessed to experiencing "dark times".

The BBC undertook an inquiry when Giovanni's then-dance partner, Amanda Abbington, 50, left Strictly back in October 2023, labelling him "abusive". Out of the 17 complaints levelled against 34 year old Giovanni, six were substantiated by the investigation, although no physical abuse towards the Sherlock star was confirmed.

The dancing pro maintains that he was merely a "strict teacher" and not a bully. Looking to move on from the tumultuous past year, the celebrity is keen on making a comeback, starting with Channel 4s Celebrity Hunted this very evening, alongside fellow Strictly professional Kai Widdrington, 29.

The dancing pro has maintained he was a merely a 'strict teacher' (Image: Instagram)

Giovanni shared with 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."

In the aftermath of upholding claims of verbal bullying and harassment, the BBC extended an apology to Amanda in September. Reflecting on the events post-complaints to the BBC, Giovanni added: "Even with that I was like, I need to be a better man. I have to,” reports the Mirror.

Amanda Abbington accused the dancer of bullying while she was on the show

"Every time she came out with another interview I was always maintaining a calm inside. Trust me, it wasn't easy, there were dark times. But I know what I did that kept me calm, because I knew the truth from the beginning. I was expecting and waiting that all of this would finish and come back with the results that I wanted it to be. I know what the truth is, I know who I am, so you just wait and move on with life."

He looks back on the ordeal as a toughening process, remarking: "After last year where everything happened, I decided to take life day by day because you never know what is going to happen, things can change in a moment.

"And then after being down there is only one way up. And you come back fighting and even stronger, you try to find better solutions."

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