Strictly's Giovanni Pernice 'confident' bullying probe will be 'resolved soon' as training footage is reviewed
3 July 2024, 01:14
Former Strictly Come Dancing pro Giovanni Pernice has said he is "confident" a bullying probe over his time on the show will be "resolved soon".
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The 33-year-old said he believed TV bosses would drop their investigation into him after training footage was reviewed.
He made the comments during the launch of his unisex perfume, Vita, in Ringwood, Dorset on Tuesday.
It comes after the former Strictly pro was accused of adopting "militant" training methods for his celeb partners.
He allegedly clashed with his partner, Amanda Abbington, during last year's show.
She withdrew from the competition early, citing “personal reasons”.
Read more: Giovanni Pernice is not returning to Strictly Come Dancing amid Amanda Abbington complaint row
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"[Pernice] said he is very confident it will all be sorted out soon," Perfumery & Co store co-owner David McConnachie told the Sun.
"He said all the training sessions had been recorded and he was sure that once they have all been reviewed it will all be resolved."
Despite the ongoing controversy, Mr McConnachie said the dancer had a great turn out at his perfume launch.
"They were queuing round the block to see him," he said.
"He had unwavering support.
"Giovanni was absolutely lovely.
"He had one-on-one meetings with everyone and was so charming.
"He was energetic from the first customer to the last."
Pernice has rejected any allegations of abusive or threatening behaviour made against him.
It comes after Amanda Abbington revealed that she has rung police after being bombarded with death threats from trolls.
The 50-year-old has been in touch with local police officers to put in place protective measures for her and her family.
A source previously told the Sun: “Amanda has been left petrified and feeling very vulnerable in public.
“She has been worried about leaving the house to do simple errands like walking the dog or picking up groceries.
"At one point she was struggling to field the hundreds of messages from Giovanni supporters saying nasty things and threatening her safety.
"It was awful to cope with. The sheer volume was horrendous and the content was unspeakable and incredibly threatening.
"The police have taken the messages seriously.”
