Giovanni Pernice's bounce-back from Amanda row - new girlfriend and Strictly triumph

Giovanni Pernice was staring down the barrel of professional uncertainty for a large chunk of this year, but now he's wowing audiences on the Italian version of Strictly Come Dancing and has even bagged himself a new girlfriend

Giovanni Pernice's bounce-back after the Amanda Abbington scandal is nothing short of remarkable.

The Strictly Come Dancing star, 34, left the BBC show earlier this year after the Sherlock actress, 50, accused Giovanni of being "unnecessary, abusive, cruel and mean" in their rehearsal s for the star-studded series.

For months, the Sicilian kept a low profile as his professional future hung perilously in the balance. But then he was acquitted of Amanda's most serious charges following the Beeb's internal investigation - before finding love on the Italian version of Strictly.

So, as Giovanni embarks on his latest romance with his Bailando con le Stelle partner, Bianca Guaccero, 43, he's a look inside his incredible turnaround...

Strictly triumph

After an agonising wait while the BBC wrapped up their investigation into Giovanni's alleged abusive behaviour, the dancer was eventually cleared of the actress' most serious claims.

In the report, released in September, there were no findings relating to physical aggression, however, complaints of verbal bullying and harassment were upheld.

Giovanni claimed victory in the ­bullying claims, with the Italian professional dancer revealing that he felt 'vindicated' after months of controversy.

Following the findings, the seasoned performer, who worked on the BBC show for almost a decade before quitting, broke his silence after being cleared of the most serious allegations made against him on Strictly. Giovanni took to social media to say he was glad "it's over". Sharing a clip on Instagram, the star admitted the last six or seven months had been tough as he was unable to respond "because I wanted to keep the confidentiality and privacy of the review".

Giovanni told his followers: "It was difficult because, you know, 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.

"I appreciate that dancing is a very difficult thing to do," he went on. "It’s a, it’s erm, it’s a sport, it’s something that is difficult in every possible way and sometimes you get frustrated, you know, as a teacher, as a dancer, as a performer. But the only reason why you get frustrated is because you care about what you do."

New girlfriend

Giovanni has officially confirmed his romance with his Bailando con le Stelle co-star after leaving Strictly to join the Italian version of the show following Amanda's damning allegations.

The dancer and actress, Bianca Guaccero, appear to have grown increasingly close, with Giovanni sharing details about their relationship during their introduction clip in Saturday's episode. Opening up about their romance, he said: “Bianca is my priority. She has been my priority from the beginning. She is still my priority today and will be until the end of the show and beyond.” A touched Bianca responded: “Being someone's priority is something new for me. I have always been the one taking care of others.”

She added: “It’s an amazing feeling. It’s something I’m discovering at the age of forty-three. Having someone next to me who is proud of me and is happy for my happiness is something new to me. This has never happened to me in my life.”

In an interview with Italian TV presenter Monica Setta, Bianca shared a heartfelt message, vowing to overcome her fears and embrace their future together: "Dear Giovanni, I promise you to leave out all my fears, doubts and closures. The symbolic gift I put under the Christmas tree is to believe in our possibilities."

The couple has already met each other’s families and visited their respective hometowns in London and Italy. In the interview set to air on December 21, Bianca continued: “I had a heavy stone on my heart, I had difficulty believing in true love. When I met Giovanni I felt at home and I was in London with him and then 24 hours with my parents. I wanted to introduce him to the country and the people I love.”

Back on the Beeb?

Giovanni may be seen back on the hit BBC show next month, according to reports. The Mail claims that the Italian will be one of the Strictly veterans to feature in a celebratory 20th anniversary special. It reports that Strictly bosses have been insisting that Giovanni plays a starring role in the special show, which is set to be broadcast on December 21.

Giovanni was a long-running feature on the show and won a Bafta for won a Bafta for ‘Memorable Moment’ when he and deaf actress Rose Ayling-Ellis performed a powerful silent dance to Clean Bandit's Symphony in 2021.

A BBC insider said: “Given his impact, particularity for the Bafta win – which was voted for by the public – it is only the obtuse who would think that Giovanni should not be included in the 20th-year reflections in some form.

“Giovanni has made an immense impact on Strictly and will absolutely not be erased from Strictly Come Dancing's history. What he and Rose did was incredible and just because Amanda has come along and made allegations, many of which were not upheld, does not change that."

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