Strictly Come Dancing: Giovanni Pernice says he's strict but not a bully following BBC investigation

Giovanni Pernice, a former professional on Strictly Come Dancing, has stated that he considers himself a "strict instructor" but not a bully. This follows the conclusion of a BBC inquiry into claims regarding his behavior during rehearsals.

Actress Amanda Abbington, who was his dance partner last year, has characterized his actions in the rehearsal space as "unacceptable, it was cruel, it was unkind, it was a form of bullying."

Following an internal probe, the BBC expressed their apologies to Abbington earlier this month after validating some of her concerns about him, although they found him not guilty of the more severe accusations.

"Bully is a significant term, and it's important to understand that there's a distinction between being a bully and genuinely caring about your actions," he shared during an interview with ITV's Lorraine on Tuesday.

When the BBC report came out, BBC News reported that the review examined 17 complaints and found six to be valid.

According to a source, the findings supported claims of verbal bullying and harassment, but the more severe accusations of physical aggression were not validated.

The report, along with which grievances were found valid, has not been made available to the public.

Pernice mentioned that the cases that were confirmed involved "verbal bullying." However, he also stated during the interview that the investigation concluded he was not a bully, which is why he feels a sense of relief now.

He expressed to Lorraine's guest host, Christine Lampard: "I'm pleased that the 11 accusations have been dismissed."

Initially, there were some serious accusations, including threats and abuse, but all of those claims have since been removed.

Talking about his approach to training, he mentioned, "I’m a firm instructor, and I’m aware of it. I’m passionate about what I do and extremely driven to succeed. I’ve clinched the glitterball trophy in the past. While that doesn’t mean I need to win every time, I’ll do everything in my power to help you reach your full potential."

Pernice triumphed in the competition alongside Rose Ayling-Ellis in 2021. In the other seven years, he finished as a runner-up three times before teaming up with Abbington.

He mentioned that dancing is quite a challenging field, but he firmly believed that he wouldn't alter his teaching style because he sees it as an effective way to tackle the subject.

Pernice acknowledged that he felt a bit frustrated during rehearsals, but noted that this is something everyone experiences while working on the show.

I experience frustration, the celebrity feels it too, and believe me, everyone involved in Strictly Come Dancing and Dancing With The Stars around the globe would feel the same way due to the immense pressure involved.

You sense the weight of expectation to excel on Saturday night.

Frustration often arises when you genuinely strive to perform well. I truly value my work, which contributes to these feelings.

He referred to Abbington as "fantastic" and "incredible when it comes to dancing," adding that she didn't share her concerns with him back then.

"All I received were compliments like, 'Giovanni, you’re a fantastic teacher' and 'Giovanni, you’re wonderful.'"

He remarked, "We never fought. We just talked about the next steps."

Abbington's description of their shared experiences varies greatly.

After the BBC report ended, she shared with Newsnight that she had experienced a continuous pattern of verbal abuse.

She said, "He went on a 35-minute tirade against me, waving his hands dramatically, insulting me, and listing all the ways he thought I was failing, expressing how overwhelmed he felt."

"This continued for seven hours each day, spanning a total of seven weeks."

In response to Lorraine, Pernice stated, "There's a lot that isn't accurate in these claims," and added, "I never insulted her in that space."

In another interview with the Daily Mail, Pernice confessed that he and his partner exchanged "very cheeky jokes," which worried the producers due to the names they were using for one another. However, he mentioned that she reassured them by saying, "It's totally okay, I was the one who initiated it."

He mentioned that he hadn't said anything until now because the BBC requested both parties to remain silent until the investigation was completed.

He expressed his frustration regarding an interview that Abbington had with Channel 4 News in July, as he mentioned to the Mail.

In the interview, the host Krishnan Guru-Murthy, who was also part of last year's series, pointed out that she seemed to have experienced "embarrassing behavior of a sexual kind."

With tears in her eyes, she acknowledged that it was true, but insisted it didn’t qualify as sexual harassment, describing it as just "one of the many incidents" that occurred.

In the email, Pernice mentioned, "I could feel my Sicilian heritage bubbling up inside me, and I wanted to say, this isn't how it really is - but I knew I had to keep quiet."

This was the first time any sexual subject had been mentioned. Naturally, I was concerned that it might ruin my career, as my audience mainly consists of children and women.

"I was portrayed in a way that didn’t reflect who I really am. It felt like their main goal was to take me down."