SHIRLEY BALLAS has officially broken her silence to throw her support behind Giovanni Pernice. After three former stars made official complaints about Giovanni conduct on Strictly - the stars of the show have largely remained silent on the matter as the BBC investigate. But head judge Shirley has now broken rank to speak in support of Giovanni and his strict training methods.
Speaking to Best Magazine, Shirley said: "I think everybody in the Strictly cast is fantastic and I’ve known Giovanni a long, long time. "I’ve known him probably longer than a lot of people have known him and I can only talk from personal experience. He’s got a work ethic that is the same as mine.
" "He works hard and he wants the best for anybody who wants to learn," she said. "He’s a true gentleman, and of course, he always looks drop-dead gorgeous. "He always puts his best foot forward and is always on time, he’s one of those very thoughtful people.
He called me the other day to invite my mum to a show he was doing because they love each other. "As popular as he is, he will always try and make his way to any fan who wants to see him and will always make them feel super-special." Her comments come after the BBC brought in former Met Police officers in order to interview those involved in the scandal.
A source said: “The BBC is taking this extremely seriously. "Two ex-Met cops are conducting all the interviews and have been tasked with gathering evidence — including texts and screenshots �.
