BBC have confirmed Giovanni Pernice will not be returning to Strictly Come Dancing.
It comes after Giovanni’s rehearsal tapes with Amanda Abbington will reportedly not be given to the actress amid bullying allegations.
It appears it may be the BBC can’t give her the tapes because they feature a third person, Giovanni, and therefore he would have to give his authorisation for the tapes to be disclosed.
The BBC have launched an investigation after the dancer was accused of ‘threatening and abusive behaviour’ while working with Amanda, 52, Good Morning Britain presenter Ranvir Singh, 46, and former Love Island host Laura Whitmore, 39, on the show – something which he vehemently denies.
And now The Sun has reported Giovanni refused to give Amanda the footage she demanded from BBC bosses in order to prove her claims.
BBC have confirmed Giovanni Pernice will not be returning to Strictly Come Dancing.
One insider told the publication: ‘It raises the question, ‘What has he got to hide?’. It doesn’t look good.’
Amanda left the competition mid-way through the series, citing personal reasons after weeks of rumours about a feud with Giovanni.
The Sherlock star, who is now being represented by £700-an-hour law firm Carter-Ruck, said she was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and demanded to see footage from rehearsals.
However, Amanda was told they couldn’t just hand over the tapes to her because they feature another person, Giovanni, not just her.
He is therefore entitled for private information or content about him not to be disclosed without his authorisation.
The insider continued: ‘The BBC will have reviewed the footage and considered if it was possible to redact content showing him.
‘Having spoken to him they have decided to withhold it completely at his request. The irony is Giovanni’s camp gave the impression it was his idea for cameras to monitor rehearsals even though Amanda’s pals have insisted it was her.’
The judges desks will see the return of the awesome foursome – Queen of Latin Shirley Ballas, the magnificent Motsi Mabuse, the fantastically fab-u-lous Craig Revel-Horwood and the always effervescent Anton Du Beke.
Plus at the heart of the dancefloor itself will be the Professional Dancers, ready to dazzle and delight with their extraordinary talent and choreography. Dianne Buswell, Nadiya Bychkova, Graziano Di Prima, Amy Dowden, Karen Hauer, Katya Jones, Neil Jones, Nikita Kuzmin, Gorka Marquez, Luba Mushtuk, Jowita Przystal, Johannes Radebe, Kai Widdrington, Nancy Xu, Carlos Gu, Lauren Oakley, Michelle Tsiakkas and Vito Coppola will all take to the Strictly dancefloor, guaranteeing viewers an abundance of spectacular routines.
And that’s not all! There will also be so much more for viewers to look forward to, including the phenomenal musical backdrop provided by Dave Arch and his wonderful band and the amazing singers, unforgettable group routines, world class music acts performing in the Strictly Ballroom, theme weeks and of course the much anticipated trip to the North West of England as the show takes up residency for one week only in the iconic and much loved Tower Ballroom in Blackpool.
Sarah James, Executive Producer says: “This year Strictly marks two decades of entertaining the nation and we will be back with a bang in September as we celebrate in style with our incredible team both on and off screen.”
In addition to all this, viewers are in for an extra special 20th birthday treat as an unmissable one-off programme will also be coming to BBC One and iPlayer that promises a journey through 20 years of unforgettable entertainment featuring iconic performances and plenty of heart-warming interviews with past celebrity stars, professional dancers, and judges too.
As always, Strictly Come Dancing will be bringing joy, laughter, and a touch of magic to Saturday and Sunday nights as the latest series comes to BBC One and BBC iPlayer later this year.
