STRICTLY Come Dancing, the glossy, jazz-handy, sequin-heavy staple of Saturday night television, faces the biggest crisis in its 20-year history. Should the BBC’s “evidence gathering” find against problematic dancer Giovanni Pernice, not only will it cause seismic shocks across the show, but the landscape for all other reality TV formats will be changed for ever. The cracks are already starting to show.
Online, you’re either Team Gio or Team Amanda . As was ever thus with social media tribalism, there is no in between. Largely, the housewives of Great Britain seem to think it impossible that their darling boy could do the things of which he stands accused.
One of which is stamping on Amanda Abbington’s foot. And on Sunday, Strictly make-up artist Lisa Armstrong — Ant McPartlin’s ex’s — waded in, “liking” her pal Gio’s statement of denial. In it, Gio wrote: “You will be as surprised as I am that allegations have been made about my dance-teaching methods in the media this week.
Nancy Xu, Carlos Gu and Luba Mushtuk have all been supportive of Amanda’s recent Instagram posts. “Of course, I reject any suggestion of abusive or threatening behaviour, and I look forward to clearing my name. “Those who have followed my journey on Strictly Come Dancing over the last decade will know I am passionate and competitive.
” Another ex-Strictly contestant, Jamie Laing, who was runner-up in 2020, also liked the statement, and two of Gio’s previous partners, De.
