Giovanni Pernice has reacted to the BBC’s verdict on him (Image: BBC)
has issued a full statement after he was cleared of the “overwhelming majority” of allegations made against him by 2023 partner .
The Sicilian pro sighed with relief as he exclaimed: “It’s over, it’s finished” after the found him not guilty of 11 of the 17 claims. “Six months, seven months of all of this… reading everyday things in the newspaper and not be able to respond because I wanted to keep the confidentiality and privacy of the review, was a difficult time,” he continued.
He stated that he’d had to read “untrue” claims about him on a daily basis and had struggled with the weight of the allegations. In a video statement published on today, he candidly admitted: “It wasn’t the nicest time of my life, let’s be honest.
However, the Sicilian TV star continued: “Today I’m happy because at the beginning there were very very serious allegations thrown out at me but as of today, none of the serious allegations have been upheld. All the threatening, abusive, harassment behaviour allegations have not been upheld.”
Giovanni, who made hs debut on the Italian version of Strictly, Ballando con le Stelle, last weekend, added: “Today is a day when we can all reflect because, you see, I appreciate that dancing is a very difficult thing to do. 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.
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Giovanni Pernice and Amanda Abbington in 2023 on Strictly (Image: BBC)
However, he insisted: “The only reason why you get frustrated is because you care about what you do.”
Giovanni reiterated: “As a professional, as a teacher, I care about [and] want to get the best out of my partner, and sometimes I do get frustrated.
“I think everybody around the world does the same thing, it’s called being professional and I love doing that.”
“You know, even now with [my current dance partner on Ballando con le Stelle] Bianca, I get frustrated. I think it’s a normal thing but then you get out the best and the results come forward.”
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Giovanni Pernice during a dance with Amanda Abbington (Image: BBC)
He concluded that he was “happy” because “none of the serious allegations” had been upheld.
Amanda made 17 claims against him and six were upheld, including two incidences of “inappropriate sexual banter” which had been “consensual” at the time and “belittling” and “negative” language towards her.
However, Giovanni has not been “physically abusive” or “threatening”, according to the probe.
Meanwhile, the apologised to Amanda for her negative experience, which she has stated was a “vindication of her complaint”.
She continued: “It’s not just a vindication for me, it’s a vindication for the other people who have contacted me since I made my complaint to express concerns about their own experiences on .
“I hope those who have felt unable to speak out now will be more confident that they will be listened to and believed.”