Laura Whitmore, a former Strictly Come Dancing contestant, has revealed that her partnership with Giovanni Pernice reportedly left her feeling ‘broken’. Whitmore claims that Pernice made her cry ‘every day’ during their time together on the show in 2016. She describes their working relationship as ‘extremely uncomfortable’ and criticizes Strictly bosses for making her spend long hours with Giovanni. Whitmore also expressed discomfort over the romance rumours that surrounded them, which affected her ability to fully engage in her dance routines.
Recently, Laura Whitmore, along with fellow former contestants Ranvir Singh and Amanda Abbington, have reportedly discussed their negative experiences with Giovanni Pernice. All three women were partnered with the Italian dancer and are allegedly considering making a formal complaint to the BBC regarding his ‘perfectionist’ behavior. Actress Amanda Abbington, who quit Strictly due to PTSD and faced backlash, has sought legal guidance to request footage of her rehearsals with Giovanni. Journalist Ranvir Singh also reportedly flagged issues during her training with Pernice, voicing her unhappiness.
Laura Whitmore has previously written about her challenging time on Strictly in an article for The Huffington Post. She admitted to feeling overwhelmed by the pressure and scrutiny of being romantically linked to Giovanni and being caught in the middle of his prior breakup. Whitmore has expressed how the speculation affected her confidence and performance on the show. In 2020, she also mentioned on a podcast that she didn’t enjoy spending extensive hours with Giovanni and just wanted to focus on dancing. The BBC stated they would not be investigating Giovanni’s behavior with Amanda after her exit from the show.
Giovanni Pernice has defended himself, stating that his perfectionism comes from a place of caring and wanting the best for his celebrity partners. He emphasized that all professional dancers on such shows aim to make their partners shine on Saturday nights. While Giovanni acknowledged being a perfectionist, he denied any specific wrongdoing in his partnership with Amanda Abbington. The BBC declined to comment on the matter. Anton & Giovanni’s Adventures in Spain, featuring Pernice, will be aired on BBC One, but there has been no further response to the allegations against him.
Laura Whitmore’s revelations have brought attention to the challenges faced by contestants on shows like Strictly Come Dancing. Her experience with Giovanni Pernice sheds light on the intense pressure and emotional toll that can come with participating in such high-profile competitions. The discussions among Whitmore, Singh, and Abbington reflect a growing awareness of the mental health and well-being of contestants on reality TV shows. It remains to be seen whether they will pursue a formal complaint against Pernice and the show’s producers, raising questions about the responsibilities of reality TV programs towards their participants.
