Giovanni Pernice reveals how he felt over his Strictly fate amid investigation

Former Strictly Come Dancing pro Giovanni Pernice spoke about the BBC show in a new interview following the conclusion of a review into allegations made against him

Former Strictly Come Dancing pro Giovanni Pernice has addressed his departure from the BBC show.

It was announced earlier this year that Giovanni, now 34, wouldn't return to Strictly for its latest series after having been on the show since 2015. His departure came amid reports that the BBC were investigating allegations made against him by actor Amanda Abbington, now 50, who had been partnered with him on last year's series. She made allegations of "bullying" and "aggressive behaviour," with Giovanni strongly denying "abusive or threatening behaviour".

The long-awaited results of the BBC's internal investigation were released just weeks ago, following the launch of the new series of Strictly. It was reported that the BBC ruled that Giovanni was not physically abusive, but complaints about verbal bullying and harassment were upheld. Out of up to 17 allegations against Giovanni, six were upheld.

Giovanni has now spoken to the Daily Mail about the experience, including recalling the decision for him to step back from Strictly whilst the review was underway. It's claimed that until Amanda made a formal complaint about him to the BBC four months after their series ended, he had been due to return for the series now airing.

He told the outlet that at the stage himself and the BBC were having a "conversation" about him coming back and "what the future was going to bring". He suggested that such a conversation happens for all the professionals.

Giovanni continued: "And then the complaint arrives and they say: 'At the moment we can't bring you back because we have to investigate.' It was the [right] thing to do in my opinion because you have to look into what is happening." The outlet reports that Giovanni insisted he wasn't 'angry,' with him suggesting that he didn't feel that way because he "did nothing wrong". He said: "At that point I was thinking, 'Let's sort this out and see what happens next'." The Daily Mail adds that Giovanni then "lost out" on returning as the line-up was unveiled before the investigation concluded.

As previously reported, in a statement announcing the conclusion of the review into Amanda's claims, the BBC said: "The BBC has now concluded its review into the complaints made by [Amanda] against [Giovanni]. We take any allegations of bullying and harassment very seriously and this review has taken time due to its complex nature and our desire to ensure a rigorous and robust process was undertaken. [Strictly] is a family show and we rightly expect very high standards. While competition can be tough, rigorous and demanding, we want the show to ultimately be a joyous and transformative experience. It is a great shame if this hasn’t been the case for everyone who has appeared on the show."

The broadcaster added: "We have assessed the complaints and we have upheld some, but not all, of the complaints made. We want to apologise to Amanda Abbington and to thank her for coming forward and taking part. We know this would not have been an easy thing to do."

Amanda then issued a statement in which she said that the apology "meant a lot" to her. She said as part of her statement: "Today's apology from the BBC is a vindication of my complaint. It's not just a vindication for me, it's a vindication for the other people who have contacted me since I made my complaint to express concerns about their own experiences on [Strictly]. I hope those who have felt unable to speak out now will be more confident that they will be listened to and believed. The BBC has invited me to meet with senior management and this is something I will now be considering." She added: "What matters most now is that lessons have been learned and that the BBC makes the changes they've promised, to ensure others don't experience the same ordeal that I and others like me did."

Giovanni also addressed the outcome of the review at the time, telling fans in a video: "Reading stuff that were untrue, wasn't the nicest time of my life lets be honest. But today I'm happy because, you know, at the beginning there were very very serious allegations thrown out at me but as in today, none of the serious allegations have been upheld. All the threatening, abusive, harassment behaviour allegations have not been upheld." And in a written statement, a spokesperson for him said: "We are pleased that this six-month review has not found any evidence of threatening or abusive behaviour by Giovanni. [He] is relieved that the overwhelming majority of allegations out to the BBC have not been upheld and looks forward to continuing his work on Dancing With The Stars in Italy this season."

Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.