Giovanni Pernice wins Italian Strictly and vows to marry partner Bianca Guaccero

Pro dancer Giovanni Pernice, 34, was handed the trophy on Saturday evening after making his debut this year on Ballando Con Le Stelle following his controversial exit from Strictlyafter nearly a decade

Giovanni Pernice has won the Italian version of Strictly Come Dancing - and vowed to marry his actress partner Bianca Guaccero.

The pro dancer, 34, was handed the trophy on Saturday evening after making his debut this year on Ballando Con Le Stelle following his controversial exit from Strictly after nearly a decade. Giovanni had left the show while the BBC conducted a probe into claims he bullied 2023 partner Amanda Abbington, which he vehemently denied.

Quizzed last night on if he would pop the question to Bianca, he cheekily responded: "If we win the show, I'll seriously think about it."

Giovanni went public with his romance with the 43-year-old actress and singer last month after appearing to have grown close over the weeks. Speaking in a clip before the pair performed on screen, 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.” Touched, she replied: "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.”

The couple has already met each other’s families and visited their respective hometowns in London and Italy. In the interview that aired 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.”

It comes after an internal BBC investigation cleared Giovanni of almost all abuse allegations made by actress Amanda Abbington in September. After six months of investigating Amanda Abbington's claims bosses ruled Mr Pernice was not physically abusive, however Amanda's complaints about verbal bullying and harassment were upheld.

Out of a total of 16 allegations against Pernice, six were upheld - some of which are for Giovanni using swear words. The report said the dancer's language could be 'belittling' towards his partner.

Despite the controversy, Giovanni returned to the show last night in a special episode marking Strictly's 20th anniversary.

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