Anton Du Beke broke his silence after his pal Giovanni Pernice quit Strictly Come Dancing.

Anton du Beke has shared his thoughts on Giovanni Pernice’s departure and hinted the show favourite could return to BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing.

Addressing the dancer’s unprecedented exit, the judge admitted: “I’d like to see him back of course.”

Earlier in the year, Giovanni vigorously disputed claims of “bullying” and “abusive” behaviour levelled against him by actress and celebrity contestant, Amanda Abbington.

Amid a tumultuous atmosphere, the BBC is bracing itself for the impact of an upcoming report focusing on bullying charges with senior figures fearing the possible financial implications of its disclosure.

Speaking on the changes to this year’s show, Anton told The Sun: “But we’ll enjoy Aljaz, and his new efforts on the show this year, and we’ll move forward.

Giovanni Pernice and Anton Du Beke

Anton Du Beke has supported Giovanni Pernice throughoot the scandal (Image: Instagram)Having established a close friendship, professionals Anton and Giovanni recently teamed up for a BBC travel programme and joined forces for a tour this year.

Giovanni, who is one of Strictly’s longest-serving professional dancers, has been embroiled in backlash from viewers following accusations of bullying from Amanda which he has vehemently denied.

Following his exit, the dancer relocated and swapped the BBC for the Italian version of Strictly, Ballando con le stelle.

BBC chiefs are reportedly on tenterhooks as they deliberate over the impending release of a controversial bullying report.

They are also said to be weighing out the possibility of Giovanni and Amanda potentially taking legal action should they find the report’s conclusions unsatisfactory.

Amanda and Giovanni on Strictly

Giovanni was fired from Strictly after Amanda opened up about her treatment during rehearsals (Image: BBC)

According to an insider via the MailOnline, BBC executives “don’t know what to do for the best,” ahead of the anticipated outcome.

They claimed: “There is a lot of panic and worry that whoever it does go in favour of will really go for the BBC, so every single word of whatever is released doesn’t give anyone the chance to complain.

“They literally don’t know what to do so it is being delayed and delayed. [Director-General] Tim Davie is a good guy but this is impossible to navigate.”