Strictly star Shirley Ballas has backed under-fire Giovanni Pernice , saying: “The truth will come out.” The judge said that she had never witnessed anything untoward by the dancer and said he will be “missed” in the next run of the BBC show. And she revealed that she had invited him to a party this weekend, along with fellow judge Anton Du Beke.
Speaking last night at Chorleywood Memorial Hall, Herts, promoting her new book Murder on the Dancefloor, she said: “I know he is a hard worker. He wants the people to do the very best that they can do. Obviously in my life I was bullied a lot.
I don't condone bullying on any path but also I don't believe gossip and what you read in the newspapers because things get escalated and they are blown way out of all proportion and it can turn into a great big snowball. “So my feeling for Giovanni is, let them do this investigation or whatever it is they are doing and the truth will come out. So we don’t judge anybody until I know absolutely 100 per cent.
I won’t pass on the gossip unless I know 100 per cent it is true. I have never ever, ever experienced any ill will or bad feeling or bad sportsmanship or rudeness from him. He will be missed.
” Shirley said she had spoken to the dancer only that day - and praised him for being kind to her mum when she was diagnosed with cancer. She added: “I just spoke to Giovanni 30 minutes before coming here and I am going to one of his Ballando classes to teach the jive (with Anton). ".
