Giovanni Pernice clashed with This Morning presenters Craig Doyle and Christine Lampard during a tense interview about his departure from Strictly Come Dancing, prompting viewers to accuse the hosts of being “harsh” and “biased”.
The 35-year-old dancer appeared on Tuesday’s programme to promote his memoir, Taking The Lead, which sets out his version of events surrounding the BBC investigation into his training partnership with actress Amanda Abbington in 2023.
However, the interview quickly turned towards the controversy, with Mr Doyle repeatedly asking Mr Pernice to address the complaints made against him and whether he had reflected on the allegations upheld by the BBC.
Mr Doyle told him: “I get it, you want to air your views,” before Mr Pernice interrupted to stress that the book was not primarily about the investigation.
“It’s the story of my life, it’s not a book dedicated to the investigation,” he said.
When Mr Doyle replied that it was “hard to move on when you put something like that in the book”, Mr Pernice said the memoir was intended to thank the people who had supported him throughout his career.
He added that he had chosen to write down what he believed to be factual rather than give a series of interviews, saying he had waited until the BBC investigation had concluded before discussing the matter publicly.
“It’s a part of the memoir, it’s a part of my life,” he said.
Mr Doyle then pointed out that the section about the dispute had been serialised and was the reason Mr Pernice was appearing on television. The dancer responded: “The aim of the book was not to be sitting on This Morning.”
Giovanni Pernice challenged over Amanda Abbington claims
Earlier in the interview, Mr Doyle referred to the demanding nature of professional dance training and asked how difficult it could be when that environment met the world of entertainment.
“You do develop a relationship when you are training, which is kind of harsh,” he said, before asking about the breakdown of Mr Pernice’s partnership with Ms Abbington.
Mr Pernice said his approach depended on what a celebrity partner wanted to achieve and insisted he matched “the tone set in the room”. He said he now felt able to discuss the experience after allowing time for the BBC process to finish and for his mental health to recover.
Mr Doyle replied that the period had also been difficult for Ms Abbington, adding: “She wouldn’t have gone through with the whole process, let’s be honest, unless she felt there was something in it.”
He also referred to the compensation Ms Abbington received and said she viewed the situation very differently from Mr Pernice.
The dancer maintained that he had spoken about the facts established by the investigation, including which complaints had been upheld and which had not.
When asked whether he now recognised what he had done wrong, Mr Pernice said he was not there to justify himself and that his life had moved on.
“I’m happy now,” he said, referring to his move to Italy, his success on the Italian version of Strictly and his relationship with Bianca Guaccero.
Ms Lampard later read out a statement from Ms Abbington’s spokesman, which accused Mr Pernice of trying to “reframe” the BBC investigation and its findings.
The statement said it was “ludicrous” to suggest he had not been given an opportunity to present his side, and rejected the suggestion that the findings related only to swearing. It added that the BBC had apologised to Ms Abbington and paid her “substantial compensation”.
The BBC investigation upheld six allegations and cleared Mr Pernice of ten of the most serious accusations. He has also maintained that he was not sacked from Strictly, but that his contract was not renewed.
Asked by Ms Lampard whether he had changed his methods when competing in Italy, Mr Pernice replied tersely: “You asked me the same question last time we did an interview. And I will answer the same way.”
He said commitment and resilience were necessary for anyone hoping to win a trophy, while acknowledging that an approach could change if he felt something in the training room was not working.
Mr Pernice insisted he had no bad feelings towards Ms Abbington and said he believed they had both moved forward. He added that, as the matter was supposed to remain private and confidential, the interview was his first in two years.
Viewers criticised the tone of the exchange on social media, with some saying the presenters appeared to favour Ms Abbington’s account and describing the interview as uncomfortable viewing.
Others accused Mr Doyle of being particularly severe and questioned why Mr Pernice was being pressed so heavily while promoting his book. Some also criticised Ms Lampard’s tone and facial expressions during the segment.
Representatives for Mr Doyle and Ms Lampard have been approached for comment.
