Giovanni Pernice’s new BBC show aired on Monday night as the broadcaster continues to throw its support behind the embattled Strictly star.
Anton & Giovanni’s Adventures in Spain sees the Italian dancer team up with his Strictly co-star Anton Du Beke for a lighthearted jaunt around Spanish towns and cities.
At one point during the opening episode, which some viewers labelled ‘a cringe-fest’, Giovanni and Anton broke into song, belting out a duet of the Bette Midler classic Together, Wherever We Go.
Giovanni crooning to the lyrics ‘No fits, no fights, no feuds and no egos’ felt like a pointed inclusion in the edit as the Italian’s fiery feud with his Strictly dance partners threatens to overshadow his new prime time series.
Giovanni Pernice’s new BBC show aired on Monday night as the broadcaster continues to throw its support behind the embattled Strictly star
Anton & Giovanni’s Adventures in Spain sees the Italian dancer team up with his Strictly co-star Anton Du Beke for a lighthearted jaunt around Spanish towns and cities
Giovanni is at the centre of a Strictly dispute which has seen his 2023 dance partner Amanda Abbington accuse him of difficult behaviour during training.
On Saturday Giovanni was hit by a fresh crisis, after it was claimed that three of his former celebrity partners met to discuss their difficult experiences working with him.
Sources claim Amanda, Ranvir Singh and Laura Whitmore had an ’emotional summit’ where they ‘compared notes’ about their time working with the Italian dancer on the BBC show.
But just hours after the claims emerged, the BBC showed its support for their Strictly star by plugging his new travel series on social media.
Giovanni and Anton were also invited onto The One Show sofa on Monday night to promote the series in a clear sign of solidarity.
During Monday’s episode Giovanni touched on his work ethic as he told close friend Anton that he is ‘a workaholic.’
‘Obviously there is the fear that everything is going to finish at some point. That’s the truth.’
‘I support me, I support my family back in Sicily financially so I always have a fear that if I stop, everything and everyone else stops because of me.’
At one point during the opening episode, which some viewers labelled ‘a cringe-fest’, Giovanni and Anton broke into song, belting out a duet to Together, Wherever We Go
Amanda Abbington has reportedly lined up top lawyer Persephone Bridgman Baker to demand rehearsal footage as her fight against Strictly and Giovanni, 33, continues.
The Sherlock actress, 52, quit Strictly back in October due to ‘personal reasons’ amid claims of a feud between her and Giovanni.
Reports then emerged she demanded footage of their rehearsals after the experience in the competition left her with PTSD.
The Sun now claims that Amanda is working with experienced lawyer Persephone as she helps her prepare a legal letter to the BBC to aid her obtaining the rehearsal footage.
A source told the publication: ‘Amanda is lining up a well-known lawyer to help her gain access to the rehearsal tapes of her and Giovanni with the aim of reviewing them.’
On the website of her lawyer firm Carter-Ruck it says: ‘Persephone specialises in media and reputation management work, encompassing defamation, privacy and harassment, together with data protection and intellectual property litigation.’
Giovanni crooning to the lyrics ‘No fits, no fights, no feuds and no egos’ felt like a pointed inclusion in the edit as the Italian’s fiery feud with his Strictly dance partners threatens to overshadow his new prime time series
The BBC and Amanda have been contacted by MailOnline for comment.
On Saturday Giovanni was hit by a fresh crisis, after it was claimed that three of his former celebrity partners met to discuss their difficult experiences working with him.
Sources claim Amanda, Ranvir Singh and Laura Whitmore had an ’emotional summit’ where they ‘compared notes’ about their time working with the Italian dancer on the BBC show.
Ranvir complained about Giovanni to producers back in 2020, during their time on the show, while Laura said she ‘cried every day’ and felt ‘uncomfortable’ while dancing with him in 2016.
Sources claimed that while ‘tears were shed,’ the trio also discussed the prospect of ‘formally’ complaining to the BBC about Giovanni’s behaviour.
An insider told The Sun: ‘There is every possibility all three could take it further and formally complain to the BBC, but for now they’re comforting each other.’
During Monday’s episode Giovanni touched on his work ethic as he told close friend Anton that he is ‘a workaholic’
‘Only a handful of people will understand what it’s like to be trained by Giovanni and in the industry he is regarded as a ”perfectionist”.
They added: ‘There is some shock that the BBC appears to be doing nothing. Like Amanda, Ranvir also flagged an issue during training with Giovanni and said she was unhappy.’
However, a source close to Giovanni told the publication: ‘Gio finds some of these allegations deeply unfair and offensive. He believes he’s done nothing wrong, and simply wants to get the best out of his partners.’
A representative for the BBC declined to comment to The Sun. MailOnline has contacted representatives for the BBC, Giovanni Pernice, Laura Whitmore, Ranvir Singh and Amanda Abbington for comment.
The BBC said earlier this year that they would not be investigating Giovanni’s behaviour with Amanda, with a spokesperson saying: ‘There is a constant dialogue between the senior production team and contestants to ensure any concerns are addressed swiftly.’
In 2016, former Love Island host Laura Whitmore said she ‘cried every day’ and felt ‘uncomfortable’ while training with him.
She later wrote for HuffPost UK in 2018: ‘I’m still not ready to talk in depth about my experience on the show.
‘I was placed with a dance partner I was extremely uncomfortable with and in the end I felt broken, I cried every day. And I really was broken, both mentally and physically, by the end.’
It’s also thought that Giovanni clashed with his 2018 celebrity partner Faye Tozer, while his 2022 partner Richie Anderson has unfollowed him on Instagram.
‘Obviously there is the fear that everything is going to finish at some point. That’s the truth. I support me, I support my family back in Sicily financially so I always have a fear that if I stop, everything and everyone else stops because of me’ he said
Giovanni, who is currently on tour with his stage show, hinted last month he’d return to Strictly later this year for the last time.
However a Strictly spokesman said they would make an announcement in ‘due course.’
Over the weekend Giovanni broke his silence on Amanda‘s explosive exit from the BBC show.
Speaking on The Mirror’s Invite Only podcast alongside fellow dancer Anton Du Beke he said: ‘It’s a shame because, in my opinion, [Amanda] could have gone all the way.’
While judge Anton added: ‘I thought you and Amanda were marvellous. I thought you were terrific’ and compared the Sherlock actress’ talents to 2019 winner Kelvin Fletcher.
Following accusations of his ‘militant’ teaching style Giovanni admitted that was a ‘perfectionist’ but said it came from a ‘perspective of caring’ and that he believed all other professional dancers were the same.
Saying: ‘In every single part of the world, if you’re a professional dancer on one of these [Strictly] shows, you have to get these people looking the best they can on Saturday night’.
‘And if we have good scores at the end, I do look back and say, ‘I’ve done a great job’. But we all care about our partners and we want that for them every single week; to look great on a Saturday’.
He continued: ‘There’s no specific way that you are, or have to be with your celebrity. You make the most of their strengths so the only thing that’s constant is the fact that you have to do a show on Saturday night.’
Giovanni is at the centre of a Strictly dispute which has seen his 2023 dance partner Amanda Abbington accuse him of difficult behvaiour during training
Earlier this year MailOnline exclusively revealed that Amanda had dropped her complaint to the BBC and had not contacted the Corporation on the matter further.
Sources at the BBC said that the ‘matter is now closed’ and they have ‘moved on’ after she asked to review the recordings of their off-screen dancing after she left the series, citing ‘personal reasons.’
Amanda was also seeking legal advice over Giovanni’s alleged behaviour towards her, believing video footage could ‘back up’ her claims.
It is understood that the first BBC chiefs knew about her PTSD late last year when they received a request for the tapes.
One show insider told the Mail: ‘The whole thing was baffling but when Amanda contacted the BBC, she wanted some answers.
‘But she hasn’t followed it through and the matter is now closed. Amanda said she left for a medical reason at the time, but that was not PTSD.
‘Her complaint was of course looked at but they were adamant that Giovanni had done nothing wrong. The BBC were ready to fight her, Amanda’s reason for quitting Strictly was an entirely different one to her PTSD.
‘She told production of a totally different medical condition and they [were] hugely supportive of her and did all they could to help.’
Amanda left the show during week five in October. It has reportedly taken months for her to recover from her time on the programme and she has apparently needed therapy following the ‘behaviour she was exposed to.’
Speaking about her condition, Amanda told The Sun: ‘I was diagnosed with mild PTSD after Strictly for several reasons and I told a few people about that, in the utmost confidence, among other things that were happening in my life at the time both professionally and personally.’
A BBC spokesman declined to comment at the time.
Amanda was praised by the judges for her performances during her time on the show but it was claimed she was struggling behind the scenes.
An inside source told The Telegraph: ‘It could be that she didn’t know what she let herself in for.
‘He [Giovanni] was quite tough and she found that difficult. If she wasn’t very well, that wouldn’t have helped.
‘She was with a partner that had a certain training style that she couldn’t cope with. Whether that came to a head or whether there’s something else going on I don’t know.’
A source has revealed that ‘Amanda is lining up a well-known lawyer to help her gain access to the rehearsal tapes of her and Giovanni with the aim of reviewing them’
Giovanni’s parents said the dancer ‘was just doing his job’ following Amanda’s shock departure from Strictly.
Addressing the news at the time, Giovanni’s father Piero and mother Rosalda admitted that their son ‘trained for long hours but was just doing his job’.
Twinkle-toed star Giovanni was reportedly only given the news of Amanda’s exit a few hours before the official statement was released.
A source told the Daily Star: ‘Amanda didn’t tell Giovanni she had decided to quit the show. The first he heard was a call from a producer.
‘This has really annoyed him. He’s barely heard from her for 10 days. She hasn’t been replying to messages or telling him what’s happening.
‘He’s been complaining about it to friends. He’s frustrated. He is worried the drama will be damaging for his career and make him look bad.’
Three of his former celebrity partners, including Laura Whitmore (pictured) reportedly met to discuss their difficult experiences working with him
Ranvir reportedly complained about Giovanni to producers back in 2020, during their time on the show, and now sources claim all three stars could make a formal complaint to the BBC
Amanda snubbed the show’s December final which saw the stars of the year’s series that had previously been eliminated came together to do a group dance and celebrate with the winner.
A source told The Mirror of why she wouldn’t be there: ‘They wanted to position her as still very much part of the Strictly family, but Amanda’s response to the invitation was she’d not be back.
‘It’s a shame, because her exit has been a sour note to the series this year.’
The Strictly insider added her snub has been ‘difficult’ and upsetting for Giovanni as he doesn’t want people to see it ‘as a reflection on him.’
They added whilst the pair sometimes ‘clashed’ Giovanni wishes her all the best.
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