Giovanni Pernice’s former Strictly Come Dancing partner Nicola Roberts previously joked that she wanted to ‘strangle him’ during one of their training sessions.
Nicola also said that she was glad to be paired with him given that he was a ‘great teacher’ and even compared herself to Giovanni – admitting that they were both ‘perfectionists’.
The singer was paired up with Giovanni on the 2022 Strictly Christmas special of Strictly Come Dancing where the duo competed against six other celebrity couples.
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Although Nicola had previous dance experience before appearing on the show, she admitted that she couldn’t help but feel like she irritated Giovanni by the way she danced in rehearsals, The Mirror reports.
During an interview on The One Show, Nicola said at the time: “My process is quite slow. I was beating myself up and not understanding the routine, not grasping the technical aspects, and the position is still not there every time and it’s a lot to think about so it’s been very fast but I like to be professional and I like to do a good job.”
She added: “Gio is a great teacher – he’s a perfectionist – as am I. The waltz is so technical and its so different to anything I’ve done before. I don’t necessarily like the learning process because I lose concentration and Gio is very ‘again, again, again.’ But I was grateful because when I finally got to do the waltz I was prepared.
“And as much as during the rehearsal process I might have wanted to strangle him, I was glad that when I left the ballroom I thought I had done a good job of the waltz.”
(Image: BBC)
The interview from Nicola has resurfaced amid bullying allegations made against Giovanni. Giovanni’s most recent celeb partner Amanda Abbington quit the BBC show last year due to “personal reasons” and now claims to have PTSD after being paired with Giovanni on the show.
Amanda is also said to be threatening legal action and demanding to see video footage of their rehearsals. The BBC called her claim ‘excessive’.
BBC bosses have seemingly stood by Giovanni after Abbington’s claim. After speaking to the professional dancer in the wake of the PTSD claims, a BBC source told the Mirror the allegations against him were “excessive”.
A BBC spokesman said: “The BBC offers a comprehensive range of support to all individuals taking part in our shows. Strictly Come Dancing has always taken duty of care incredibly seriously and there is a constant dialogue between senior members of the production team and the contestants to ensure any concerns are addressed swiftly. Strictly has a proud track record as a joyful, positive experience where robust support and assistance is always made available at every stage of the production.”
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