Giovanni Pernice has accused the BBC of failing to protect its stars on Strictly Come Dancing.
The Italian professional dancer left the show three years ago over allegations made against him by Amanda Abbington, his celebrity dance partner on Series 21.
The actress, who starred in the BBC’s Sherlock television series, alleged that Pernice had bullied and harassed her during the competition.
In his new book, called Gio: My Story, serialised in The Daily Mail, Pernice claimed Abbington had “openly spoken” about having struggled with her mental health, but the BBC had “failed” to conduct psychological assessments of contestants.
Giovanni Pernice left Strictly Come Dancing after the 2023 series
(Image: Ian West/PA Wire)
He said: "On many reality TV shows, participants are given psychological assessments before being signed.
"But to my knowledge, none were carried out on the Strictly celebrity contestants to ensure they were mentally able to cope with the challenge.
"If the producers didn’t suspect she could still be fragile, why weren’t there processes in place to check?"
Abbington had previously spoken publicly about her mental health struggles.
In 2023, she told James O’Brien on his Full Disclosure podcast that she had “hated herself” and had considered taking her own life “quite a few times.”
Amanda Abbington alleged that Giovanni Pernice had bullied and harassed her during their time on Strictly
(Image: Ian West/PA Wire)
In his book, Pernice said the controversy left him feeling suicidal.
He said: “There were certainly times I would have killed myself if Molly [Molly Brown, his then girlfriend] hadn’t been there.”
The dancer also made a series of claims detailing his alleged conversations with Abbington.
He said that their “banter” included “bad language,” and that Abbington had called him “rude names” and made “rude gestures.”
What did the BBC find in its investigation?
The BBC launched an investigation into Pernice’s teaching methods following the complaints.
The review upheld some, but not all, of Abbington’s claims.
The broadcaster reportedly reached a five-figure out-of-court settlement with Abbington, paid by BBC Studios.
The BBC found no evidence of physical aggression, but it did uphold complaints of verbal bullying and harassment.
Pernice rejected “any claim of threatening or abusive behaviour.”
He welcomed the end of the review and said he was pleased it had concluded.
Following the investigation, the BBC has made changes to improve welfare on Strictly.
A chaperone is now required to be present “at all times” during rehearsals in the training room.
The BBC has been contacted for comment by Newsquest.