Anton Du Beke wants Giovanni Pernice ‘back on Strictly’ as BBC investigation results loom-Emily Bashforth-Entertainment – Metro

Anton Du Beke and Giovanni Pernice are long-time pals (Picture: PA)

Strictly Come Dancing judge Anton Du Beke has publicly thrown his support behind axed pro Giovanni Pernice amid allegations about misconduct on the dance show.

Former Strictly stars, most notably Amanda Abbington but also Laura Whitmore, have come forward with complaints about Giovanni’s behaviour in the training room, prompting the BBC to investigate.

Sherlock actress Amanda, 50, previously alleged that Giovanni, 34, was a ‘bully’ who exhibited ‘toxic’ behaviour when the cameras were off, saying she’s been left with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after leaving the competition midway through last series.

While Giovanni has emphatically denied any wrongdoing and vowed to clear his name, the Beeb’s investigation findings are yet to be published, with long-time pal Anton making no secret of where his loyalty lies.

Anton, who has filmed travel shows with Giovanni and also toured with him outside of Strictly, the choreographer has now said he would want to see the Italian star back on the dancefloor.

He told The Sun’s TV Mag: ‘I’d like to see him back of course, but we’ll enjoy Aljaz, and his new efforts on the show this year, and we’ll move forward.’

Anton has thrown his support behind Giovanni amid his scandal (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

The duo have toured together and filmed a travel show (Picture: BBC/BBC Studios)

After a break, Aljaz returns to the talent series this year, having last appeared on Strictly in 2021 with Sara Davies. He is the first-ever pro to be welcomed back after leaving.

‘We get a whole new bunch of celebrities, and we go on from there,’ Anton added, with this year’s line-up including JB Gill, Shayne Ward, Sarah Hadland, Pete Wicks, Tasha Ghouri, Sam Quek, Wynne Evans, and Chris McCausland.

Addressing the scandal further, Anton, who was a pro dancer until 2020, said: ‘It’s one of those situations where I sort of feel like I’m on the outside looking in because it’s about stuff that of which I’m not involved in, anymore.’

‘So I’m not part of the… but it’s, you know, you don’t. You never want any bad press, if you like, or anybody to say anything negative about the thing that you love,’ he continued.

‘So I feel sad but I’m sort of waiting it… I’ve been waiting for it to sort of get through this part and then get on with the new show.

‘Really, I think we’ve, I think there’s been a sort of period of time now that we’ve been waiting for the new show to start so we can, we can get on with the good stuff, really.

Amanda Abbington has accused her former partner of bullying (Picture: BBC/Ray Burmiston)

‘Yeah, you never, you never want anything unpleasant to be said about the thing you so it’s been, it’s been unfortunate, and I hope it, I hope we have, hope we have a great series.’

He added that ‘you’re always disappointed if somebody doesn’t have a good time.’

The star also ‘hopes that 99% of people did have a great time’ and ‘focuses on that’.

His comments come after Amanda herself gave a new interview in which she described Giovanni’s behaviour as ‘unnecessary, abusive, cruel, and mean.’

She said the reason why she spoke out was because she ‘couldn’t sit back and let him do that to other people.’

Meanwhile, having recently completed his own tour and kept his distance from the press, Giovanni is set to return to TV screens later this year…

Anton returns to the judging panel this season (Picture: BBC/Guy Levy)

It has been announced that the dancer – who previously lifted the trophy with Rose Ayling-Ellis – has signed to the Italian version of Strictly, Ballando con le Stelle.

Confirming his TV comeback, Giovanni said he was ‘delighted’, as he heads back to work in his native country.

‘I’m very excited. I’m very very happy about it. Now I have to do the same thing again as there’s an Italian audience now,’ he wrote on Instagram.

Giovanni was one of two long-time Strictly pros to be sacked this year, as Graziano Di Prima, 30, was also given the chop after accusations about his behaviour.

It has been alleged that he ‘kicked’ Love Island’s Zara McDermott, 27, in the rehearsal room, which he denies.

Giovanni maintains that he is ‘not an abusive man’, as he merely ‘brushed’ her.

Graziano Di Prima was axed from Strictly in a shock move earlier this year (Picture: BBC/Guy Levy)

The rest of the nation’s favourite dancers will return to Strictly for its 20th-anniversary year, including Amy Dowden, who was absent last season to undergo breast cancer treatment.

Anton is also back on the panel, sitting alongside Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, and Motsi Mabuse, critiquing the stars and offering scores.

It remains unknown when the results of the three-month-long Giovanni probe will be published by the BBC, with the last update revealing that it was unlikely to be August.

Strictly Come Dancing’s 2024 launch show airs tonight at 7:20pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

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