Giovanni has spoken out about his side of the Strictly scandal (Image: PA)

In Giovanni Pernice’s first interview since the Amanda Abbington investigation, the former Strictly star revealed how his parents reacted to the BBC probe into his behaviour

Giovanni Pernice shared how there were ‘so many tears’ shed by his family amid his BBC probe.

Strictly Come Dancing was thrown into chaos when Sherlock actor Amanda Abbington made allegations about Giovanni’s tough training techniques last year. In January, it was reported that the 51-year-old star requested footage of the duo’s ‘tense’ training sessions, leading to a misconduct investigation.

Giovanni was dropped by the dance competition earlier this year, and in the end, six of Amanda’s 17 complaints were upheld – including verbal bullying and harassment, such as using swear words, ‘belittling’ language and giving negative feedback to his partner. He was cleared of the most serious allegations of physical aggression.

Six of Amanda’s complaints were upheld by the BBC including verbal bullying and harassment ( Image: BBC)
Now, the Sicilian performer has given his first interview since leaving the show. Giovanni told the Daily Mail that he has often been reduced to tears in the past six months, and the whole saga reportedly left him ‘depressed’. He feared it could have been the end of his dance career, which he has dedicated his life to since the age of 14.

He told the paper: “I rang my parents up crying. They are the closest people to me.” He continued: “They were asked if their son was a bully. Everyone got upset, that made me upset. There were so many tears of frustration and sadness.” Giovanni added that his parents were stunned how he was able to “respect the process” following the accusations.

Giovanni was interviewed by Christine on Lorraine today, where he spoke for the first time on live TV following the scandal. During their chat, he explained: “Strictly is a show that puts two people in a room. I didn’t personally know Amanda and Amanda didn’t know me. It’s very concerning the fact that even if it’s like that after three days, you’ve already complained.”

In a tense exchange on the show, Christine asked what the disconnect was, to which he replied: “First of all, the investigation didn’t find me a bully, and it’s important to put things straight. Bullying is a big word. There’s a difference between bullying and caring what you do. It’s very different.

Giovanni’s mum Rosalda and dad Piero were asked if their son was a bully amid the Strictly probe ( Image: @pernicegiovann1/Twitter)
“Everything seemed great. All I had was, ‘Giovanni, you’re an amazing teacher’, ‘Giovanni, you’re great’, and then, as Amanda said, she left because of health conditions, and my last message to her was saying, ‘Please let me know how the scan goes, and I want to help you.’ The last message to her was I’d help her find a doctor to sort it out.”

The BBC apologised to Amanda after the probe. A statement issued by the broadcaster said: “We have assessed the complaints, and we have upheld some, but not all, of the complaints made.” Giovanni had always denied the allegations and was “happy” that the investigation had cleared him of the abuse allegations.

In a statement following the report, Amanda said: “My decision to come forward and complain about Giovanni Pernice’s conduct towards me was not an easy thing to do. In the days, weeks and months since I contacted the BBC, I’ve been accused of being a liar, a troublemaker and of being ‘mad and unstable’. I’ve also received rape and murder threats, and a bomb threat was sent to my place of work. My family and children have also been subjected to threats and intimidation.

“Despite this vile abuse, I’ve never regretted coming forward, and today’s apology from the BBC is a vindication of my complaint. 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 Strictly Come Dancing. I hope those who have felt unable to speak out now will be more confident that they will be listened to and believed.”