Giovanni Pernice: Why did Celebrity Hunted star leave Strictly Come Dancing? Bullying scandal explained

Pernice has teamed up with his old Strictly pal Kai Widdrington to evade the hunters in the newest series of the Channel 4 competition show, with the celebrity duo battling it out to raise money for charity. Other famous duos taking part in the latest series include Duncan James and Christine McGuinness, Denise Welch and husband Lincoln Townley, David Whitely and Zeze Millz, Danielle Harold and Kimberly Hart-Simpson, and Simon McCoy and Lucrezia Millarini.

Pernice hit the headlines in 2024 after allegations of bullying in Strictly Come Dancing training sessions were made by several former partners. The scandal led to his departure from the hit BBC series in May 2024.

But what happened, what was he accused of - and how did he react to the scandal? Here’s everything you need to know.

What was Giovanni Pernice accused of?

In January 2024, The Sun reported that actress Amanda Abbington has requested footage of her training sessions with Pernice amid reports that she had been seeking legal advice concerning his behaviour towards her. Pernice and Abbington had been partnered together for series 21, with the actress withdrawing from the competition.

Abbington had accused Pernice of verbal bullying and harassment, while also accusing him of physical aggression during their training. The Sun also reported in March 2024 that his fellow ex-partners Laura Whitmore and Ranvir Singh had also met with BBC bosses to discuss their negative experience while training with Pernice.

How did Pernice react to the allegations?

The BBC launched an investigation into the allegations shortly after they were made public. Pernice denied all wrongdoing he had been accused of and quit Strictly Come Dancing, which was confirmed by the BBC in June 2024.

In September 2024, the BBC announced that while some of the allegations made by Abbington, including those of verbal bullying and harassment, were upheld by their report, Pernice was cleared of the most serious allegations of physical aggression. In a statement, the BBC said: “We have assessed the complaints and we have upheld some, but not all, of the complaints made.

“We want to apologise to Amanda Abbington and to thank her for coming forward and taking part. We know this would not have been an easy thing to do.”

Pernice’s spokesperson reacted to the ruling at the time, saying: "We are pleased that this six-month review has not found any evidence of threatening or abusive behaviour by Giovanni. Giovanni is relieved that the overwhelming majority of allegations out to the BBC have not been upheld and looks forward to continuing his work on Dancing With The Stars in Italy this season."

While he has not returned to Strictly Come Dancing, Pernice went on to win the Italian version of the show ‘Ballando con le Stelle’ in December 2024.