BBC bosses are reportedly racing to finish the Giovanni Pernice misconduct investigation before the new series of Strictly Come Dancing starts in just two weeks.
The professional dancer, 33, was paired with Sherlock actress Amanda Abbington for the long-running BBC show’s 21st series in 2023, but she abruptly withdrew just five weeks into the competition.
Giovanni has since been suspended while a BBC probe is conducted over claims of off-camera misconduct made by Abbington, 50, and two other former celebrity dance partners. Giovanni has denied the allegations.
And now it is reportedly a race against time to get the probe done and dusted ahead of the first Strictly show on September 14, claims The Sun.
They report that all the evidence has been reviewed and that we could be days away from an announcement.
+7
View gallery
BBC bosses are reportedly racing to finish the Giovanni Pernice misconduct investigation before the new series of Strictly Come Dancing starts in just two weeks
+7
View gallery
The professional dancer, 33, was paired with Sherlock actress Amanda Abbington for the long-running BBC show’s 21st series in 2023, but she abruptly withdrew just five weeks into the competition
A source told the publication: ‘The BBC is under huge pressure to get this probe done and dusted before September 14 when the new series kicks off.
‘It’s a ticking time bomb to get it done in time while not leaving any stone unturned. All evidence has been reviewed, and it is looking like we are now days away from an announcement.
‘Clearly the BBC are desperate to draw a line under all this and move on. But whatever the verdict it is clear there will be more questions for the corporation to answer and potentially even more historical complaints.’
The newspaper also claims that contestants and BBC employees have set up a WhatsApp group ahead of the announcement and that others could come out with other experiences after the findings are released.
MailOnline has contacted the BBC for comment.
Giovanni has denied the allegations.
Amanda previously said she would ‘cry and vomit’ after returning home from rehearsals with Giovanni.
Speaking to The Times, Abbington claims she has since received death threats from fans of the Italian dancer, whose long-term future on Strictly remains uncertain.
+7
View gallery
Giovanni has since been suspended while a BBC probe is conducted over claims of off-camera misconduct made by Abbington, 50, and two other former celebrity dance partners. Giovanni has denied the allegations
+7
View gallery
And now it is reportedly a race against time to get the probe done and dusted ahead of the first Strictly show on September 14, claims The Sun
+7
View gallery
They report that all the evidence has been reviewed and that we could be days away from an announcement
She said: ‘I’ve had the worst experience. The show was tough and horrible, but the aftermath of it I was not expecting. It’s been really brutal and it just hasn’t stopped.
‘It’s been awful, just relentless. Death threats and rape threats for just standing up for something that I thought was wrong.’
The actress also admitted she would become nauseous after completing rehearsals with Pernice, a fan favourite who had appeared on Strictly for eight years prior to his suspension.
Amanda’s husband Jonathan Goodwin, a former escapologist who was left paralysed in 2021 after a TV stunt went horribly wrong, also corroborated her claim of physical sickness.
The investigation that began with accusations against Giovanni has since widened after more complaints surrounding the hit show.
It has heaped further turmoil on Strictly, which is deemed to be the jewel in the Corporation’s crown and is still watched by more than ten million people.
Sources have told the Mail that the accusations have prompted bosses to extend the inquiry to look at other matters, and individuals, involved with the dance series as they prepare for its 20th anniversary.
It means that Giovanni, who has already let his frustrations at the investigation be known, has faced an even longer wait for an outcome after three former dance partners, including Amanda, instructed lawyers to make ‘serious complaints’ about his conduct.
It also threatens to damage Strictly, the BBC’s biggest Saturday night success story since The Generation Game.
A television source has previously told the Mail: ‘This investigation is no longer just solely about Giovanni but other, more wider issues. The show has been going for 20 years and the whole veneer of Strictly is so sparkly and lovely, of course there will always be people who feel hard done by.
‘Amanda’s complaints have started something massive, it has opened the door for others to come forward about things they haven’t been happy with.
‘It is all a big headache for the BBC, it is about to celebrate a massive milestone with its 20th anniversary.
‘Having the Giovanni complaint has been a big enough issue, but now it looks like there is more to be scrutinised and looked into.’
Sources close to Giovanni say that he fully expects to be exonerated.
Insiders say also that the widened inquiry will now present the Sicilian star as possibly being a ‘small fish’ in Strictly’s potential downfall.
He quit the show following claims by Amanda, star of Sherlock and Mr Selfridge, that he bullied her in training, claims which he denies.
In May it was revealed that she had instructed London law firm Carter Ruck to represent her against the BBC.
The BBC refused to comment on the matter but it did confirm in a statement that more than one complaint has been made.
+7
View gallery
A source told the publication: ‘The BBC is under huge pressure to get this probe done and dusted before September 14 when the new series kicks off’
Fellow dancer Graziano Di Prima has since been sacked by the show following similar claims of inappropriate behaviour towards TV personality Zara McDermott, with whom he was paired in 2023.
Confirming his departure on Instagram, Graziano wrote: ‘I deeply regret the events that led to my departure from Strictly. My intense passion and determination to win might have affected my training regime.
‘While respecting the BBC HR process, I acknowledge it’s only right for the sake of the show that I step away. I am saddened that I wasn’t allowed to offer a quote to the online news stories, and I take on board the sensitivity of the situation.
‘There’s more to this story that I am unable to discuss at this time, but I am committed to being strong for my family and friends. I wish the Strictly family nothing but success in the future.’
