Debbie McGee has issued a statement defending former Strictly Come Dancing professional Giovanni Pernice , who has been axed from the lineup for the new season of the ballroom show. Pernice, who had been a staple on the competition since 2015, has faced a flurry of allegations of poor behaviour after several former celebrity contestants raised questions about his teaching methods while on the show. On Monday (10 June), the BBC announced the professional cast for its forthcoming season of the dancing competition, with Pernice’s name noticeably absent from the line-up .
McGee, who was partnered with Pernice in 2017, said on social media that she was “heartbroken” by the news of him not continuing in the show. “My experience on Strictly will always be happy and life changing,” she wrote. “Gio nurtured me through my grief and gave me confidence I could do things I thought was beyond me.
” This is not the first time that McGee has spoken up in support of Pernice. When complaints were initially raised over his behaviour and methods, the TV star said in January that she had the “best of times” working with him during her stint on the competition. The allegations first mounted when Pernice’s 2023 partner, Sherlock actor Amanda Abbington , withdrew from the competition citing “personal reasons”.
Shortly after, she reportedly requested what was described by a source as “tense” footage of her rehearsals with Pernice for a supposed investigation. In a recent in.