Strictly professional dancer Giovanni Pernice has said “I’m a perfectionist” amid the controversy over Amanda Abbington’s departure from the BBC show.
Sherlock actress Abbington took part in the 2023 series, but left for “medical reasons” and subsequently revealed that she had been diagnosed with PTSD after taking part in the ballroom competition.
Another of Pernice’s partners has spoken about being “uncomfortable” in training, but the Italian dancer has defended his methods.
The Strictly star, 33, said: “I am a perfectionist, 100%, but it comes from a perspective of caring. I think all of the professional dancers are in the same place.
“In every single part of the world, if you’re a professional dancer on one of these shows, you have to get these people looking the best they can on Saturday night.
“And if we have good scores at the end, I do look back and say, ‘I’ve done a great job’.
“But we all care about our partners and we want that for them every single week – to look great on a Saturday.”
Speaking with fellow dancer Anton Du Beke on the Invite Only podcast, he added: “There’s no specific way that you are, or have to be with your celebrity. You make the most of their strengths so the only thing that’s constant is the fact that you have to do a show on Saturday night.”
Pernice‘s defence of his methods comes after rumours of a feud between Abbington and himself during the 2023 run of Strictly. She left early in October 2023, with the BBC explaining that this was for “health reasons”.
Abbington, 51, never directly addressed the reason of her departure, but did state in January that she had been diagnosed with PTSD following her time on the show.
It was also reported at the time that the actress had requested footage of her training session with Pernice.
His 2016 partner Laura Whitmore has spoken of her own time on Strictly, writing afterwards: “I was placed with a dance partner I was extremely uncomfortable with – and in the end I felt broken, I cried every day.
“And I really was broken, both mentally and physically, by the end.”
Speaking on the podcast, Pernice said it was a “shame” Abbington left Strictly, because she “could have gone all the way” in the competition.
James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
