The year was his true ‘annus horribilis’, said Giovanni Pernice. One minute he was Strictly Come Dancing’s most popular – not to mention longest serving – professional dancer.
The next he was embroiled in daily Zoom calls with his lawyers after his dance partner for the 2023 series, Amanda Abbington, accused him of bullying her. His career in tatters, he found himself the subject of a six-month-long BBC investigation into his conduct.
But it all could have been very different, say friends – if only Giovanni had been less proud.
‘There was a lot he could have said which might have nipped things
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