ON THE RITZ Giovanni Pernice LOOKS DOWNCAST on Italian holiday amid Strictly Come Dancing SCANDAL

The star was seen smoking on the terrace as he spent time with pals

IOVANNI Pernice was seen looking downcast as he joined friends for dinner in Italy.

The Sicilian dancer, who quit the series in May shortly before an official investigation was launched into his behaviour towards Amanda Abbington, has jetted out of the UK for some downtime.

Giovanni spent the evening in Portofino with friendsCredit: BackGrid

The star seemed locked in an intense conversation as he smoked with palsCredit: BackGrid

At dinner with friends, Gio didn’t seem to be in as high sprits as his friends wereCredit: BackGrid

The star later perked up, stifling a laugh under a napkinCredit: BackGrid
As the investigation into allegations on rehearsal room bullying continues, Giovanni has flown to Portofino to be with friends.

On Sunday night, he was spotted at the Marinaio tavern with his friends, sitting at a terrace table as they joked and drank wine.

Giovanni looked dapper in a grey linen suit, but didn’t seem to crack a smile as his friends laughed around him.

At one point, he seemed locked in an intense conversation with one friend while they smoked away from the table.

However, he did eventually perk up, with the star stifling a laugh from behind a napkin as they ate and caught up.

He later spotted the cameras and gave a wave before heading off.

Giovanni arrived in Italy in style, sharing photos from his trip on a private jet, complete with champagne.

The trip comes after the ongoing Strictly Comes Dancing probe into his conduct on the show – with his 2023 celeb partner Amanda Abbington launching an official complaint about his behaviour.

The star claimed she was subjected to “disastrously unworkable” and “abusive” conditions.

Giovanni has strenuously denied the claims and has vowed to clear his name.

The outcome of the investigation, which has been rumbling on for four months, has been delayed after new evidence came to light.

As a result, other TV shows have been reluctant to offer the Italian dancer big money deals in case he’s found guilty – and could have potentially lost him up to £350,000 in missed TV opportunities.

The Mail reports that Italian dancing show Ballando con le Stelle has pulled their £100k offer amid the uncertainty, while a rumoured £250k deal to join I’m A Celebrity now looks unlikely too.

It’s unlikely results of the three-month investigation into bullying claims will be announced this month.

Giovanni is waiting for the results of the BBC’s investigationCredit: BackGrid

$Spotting cameras, Gio gave a wave before heading in \$
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Spotting cameras, Gio gave a wave before heading in \Credit: BackGrid

Amanda quit the series after five weeks and later launched a complaint on his behaviourCredit: PA
A source told us: “The BBC is in crisis mode. They were still reeling from the Huw Edwards scandal.

“They know all eyes are on them as to what they will do about the black cloud hanging over Strictly so they need to make sure they announce their decision at the right moment.

“It’s looking more likely that it will be next month now, meaning the whole thing could drag into the new series.

“The BBC also knows that whatever they announce is very unlikely to be the end of the matter.

“They are bracing themselves for appeals and potentially more complaints so are determined to get their ducks in a row before they make any public announcement.

“Amanda and Giovanni are naturally both frustrated at the way things are dragging on.

“They both insist they are in the right and are not backing down.

“But they both also want answers and to find out what the BBC has decided.”

Strictly’s full scandal so far

Strictly Come Dancing’s scandal has been growing over the past few months, with several major players speaking out about what went on. Here are the key moments of what’s happened so far

16th May: Giovanni Pernice sensationally quits Strictly Come Dancing after nine years on the show.

17th May: Giovanni becomes the centre of an official investigation after three former partners – believed to be Amanda Abbington, Laura Whitmore and Ranvir Singh – make complaints to the BBC.

16th June: Giovanni releases an official statement vowing to clear his name and denies any wrongdoing.

8th July: Strictly confirms Aljaz Skorjanec will return to the series, replacing Giovanni, after initially quitting the show two years ago.

10th July: Amanda Abbington launches fresh legal proceedings to get the rehearsal footage from her time with Giovanni, after allegedly he refused to release the videos.

13th July: Graziano Di Prima is axed from Strictly for “gross misconduct” after footage of his treatment of Zara McDermott is brought to the attention of the BBC.

Graziano quickly broke his silence, apologising for his behaviour in a statement and saying he “deeply regrets it”, adding his “intense passion and determination to win might have affected his training regime.”

15th July: Strictly bosses implement new duty of care protocols, including having a chaperone present throughout all rehearsals.

16th July: Zara McDermott speaks out publicly for first time. She states while the production team were “amazing to work with”, she found the rehearsal room “completely different”, confirming there’s footage of “certain situations”.

19th July: Anton Du Beke is put under the spotlight for his “1970s attitude” and treatment of female celeb stars, particularly after allegedly referring to 2009 partner Laila Rouass as a “p***” after getting a spray tan.

21st July: Paralympian Will Bayley, who has limb condition arthrogryposis, revealed he was encouraged to leap from a table during a dance routine, despite fears. The stunt caused an injury that forced him to withdraw from the show.

22nd July: MasterChef’s Gregg Wallace admits he broke down in tears and got a nasty stress rash on his face during his time on Strictly in 2014.

22nd July: Despite ongoing issues, the Strictly professional cast begin rehearsals for this year’s series.

23rd July: Celebrity agent Melanie Blake claims she was sexually assaulted by an unnamed pro dancer while backstage on the show, and claims she witnessed ageism, rudeness and a rough treatment to the point of injury.

23rd July: Strictly is forced to beef up security after ‘an intruder scales the wall of the rehearsal studio’.

23rd July: BBC boss Tim Davie breaks his silence on the ongoing allegations against Strictly, saying he is ‘deeply sorry’, adding: “Hundreds of people, be they pros, contestants or crew have been part of it and had a brilliant experience.

“At the same time if someone thinks there was something wrong or they want to talk about their experience then of course we want them to raise that with us. Be in no doubt we will take it seriously, listen and deal with it as appropriate.”

24th July: Strictly 2023 star Krishnan Guru-Murthy holds a bombshell interview with Amanda Abbington on Channel 4 news, where she claims she was bullied, with some of the ‘humilation being of a sexual nature’.

27th July: Laura Whitmore releases a statement regarding her Strictly experience, saying “I thought my experience was specific to me but I’ve since learned I was wrong”.

She adds she is not part of the official complaint, but has come forward to support Amanda with the BBC, alongside others.

28th July: Laila Rouass speaks out against the accusations regarding Anton Du Beke, saying she “never felt pressured” by him and “personally insisted on six to seven hours training a day”.

August 10: Graziano breaks his silence on his Strictly axe, saying “these vile, false allegations have ruined my life.”

He also told of the “shocking” end to his friendship with Zara McDermott.