Giovanni Pernice has left Strictly Come Dancing, according to reports.
The professional dancer, 33, is said to have canceled his eight-year stint on the show, despite the BBC “supporting him every step of the way” after reports emerged of clashes with his previous contestants.
Giovanni has faced a wave of scrutiny since his dance partner Amanda Abbington dramatically quit the competition last year due to “personal reasons.”
The actress, 52, is said to have demanded footage of her rehearsals after the competition experience left her with post-traumatic stress disorder.
She later met with Laura Whitmore and Ranvir Singh for an “emotional summit” to discuss her difficult experiences with him.
Giovanni Pernice has left Strictly Come Dancing, according to reports
A source said Sun: ‘Gio feels that the scrutiny on him has become excessive and now is the time to start again.
‘He wants to focus on other TV projects and feels he has achieved all he can on Strictly, having won the trophy in 2021 and reaching the final an unprecedented four times.
He remains adamant that he has done nothing wrong other than being a tough taskmaster, but he knows that his training style is not to everyone’s liking, especially in these times. He has a lot of other interesting projects in the pipeline right now and is super excited to start working on them. This, now, is his priority.
A BBC spokesperson said: “Professional dancers for 2024 will be announced in due course.”
MailOnline has contacted Giovanni’s representatives for comment.
Amanda Abbington, 52, quit mid-series last year due to “personal reasons” amid allegations of a dispute between her and the dancer before it was reported she had demanded footage of their rehearsals after the experience in the competition left her with post-traumatic stress disorder.
But despite receiving fresh allegations that he left a fourth celebrity in tears, MailOnline revealed that the BBC was supporting Giovanni “to the end” and that he would return to the show later this year after the broadcaster offered him a new contract.
Amanda Abbington, 52, quit mid-series last year due to “personal reasons” amid allegations of a dispute between her and the dancer.
The accusations, attributed to sources close to his last dance partner, Amanda, indicated that Giovanni was “abrasive” towards his partners and had reduced some to tears.
While Strictly insiders agree that Giovanni puts a lot of pressure on his partners to give them the best possible chance of winning the shiny ball, they insist he is no bully.
And that’s why, despite accusations from Amanda and three of her former partners, Giovanni was “offered a contract” at the meeting and readily accepted.
“He’s delighted,” says an insider on the BBC One programme. “Although there are still dots over his i’s and crosses over his t’s to be written, everything seems to be happening for him. Since it’s the 20th anniversary, it’s a big year for the show and everyone involved wants Giovanni to be a part of it.
“It’s been a really difficult few months for him. To have been hit with such claims, but not have anything he can respond to, has been very, very hard.”
Both the BBC and the Giovanni team say there has been no official complaints about his behavior.
