Producers at have reportedly told to "rein in" her support for . Bosses at the competition have told the head judge to tone down the support she is giving to the Italian hunk as an investigation into his conduct during training is ongoing. This comes despite Shirley actively working with Gio, 33, on his own projects.
Pernice has been at the centre of a debacle at the show after former partner accused him of bullying and misconduct during rehearsals last year. She went on to quit the show after five weeks, adding that the experience gave her post-traumatic stress disorder. Since then, she has lodged a formal complaint with the BBC about Giovanni's behaviour, with other famous faces also coming forward.
These include star and ex- presenter - all of whom also made their own allegations. Italian stallion Gio has hit out at the claims - denying them entirely, stating he is "looking forward to clearing his name". As a result, he has instructed a top legal firm to deal with any future claims being made against him.
Many of the former pro's pals have given him their support - including Shirley, who has said previously that "the truth will come out" about what happened between the pair. However, Ballas' backing has been so vocal, that BBC bosses have now asked her to pull back. Speaking about the case, an insider close to the show told the : "Shirley has been told she needs to rein it in and not talk about Giovanni in the context of the case.
It’s such a complex thing that we can’.
