Former Strictly Come Dancing star Giovanni Pernice confirms he is RETURNING to UK television as he joins BBC rival for brand new show following bullying probe

Former Strictly Come Dancing’s Giovanni Pernice is returning to UK television.

The professional dancer, 34, left the BBC show after his former celebrity partner Amanda Abbington complained about his behaviour and has since joined the cast of the Italian version of the show Ballando Con Le Stelle.

But now he has joined BBC rivals Channel Four for their new series Celebrity Hunted, according to The Sun.

The show was filmed back in 2022, but bosses shelved it after Sherlock star Amanda accused him of bullying.

At first the show execs considered just cutting his scenes from the series but decided on rescheduling the show for January 2025.

The professional dancer, 34, left the BBC show after his former celebrity partner Amanda Abbington complained about his behaviour and has since joined the cast of the Italian version of the show Ballando Con Le Stelle 

The BBC cleared the Sicilian of ten out of 16 ­allegations when its probe concluded in September.

Six of the claims were upheld, some included bullying and harassment, which prompted an apology from BBC bosses.

A TV source told The Sun: ‘It was absolutely right to shelve Hunted while the BBC took the time to unravel the claims against Giovanni.

‘It was filmed in 2022 and due to screen last year, but will now air in early 2025.’

The BBC report cleared ­Giovanni of violence, physical abuse, threats and intimidation.

But the investigation did find moments of ‘inappropriate behaviour of sexual banter in the workplace’.

It was said that Giovanni also used swear words and ‘belittling, dismissive and insulting’ language.

Giovanni will be seen on Celebrity Hunted alongside his 2022 dance partner, Radio 2’s Richie Anderson.

But now he has joined BBC rivals Channel Four for their new series Celebrity Hunted, according to The Sun

Yesterday, Gio promoted his own headline tour The Last Dance, which will run from January to May. He wrote online: ‘I’m back baby!’

Richie opted to keep silent during the investigation and unfollowed him online.

Celebrities taking part in the next series, as reported by The Sun newspaper, are: Strictly Come Dancing professionals Giovanni and Kai Widdrington, Loose Women’s Denise Welch and husband Lincoln, EastEnders Danielle Harold and Coronation Street’s Kimberley Hart-Simpson plus Christine McGuiness and Duncan James.

The show will see the celebrities turn into a fugitive. 

If they can successfully outrun the elite team of hunters for 21 days, they will win  £100,000 for charity.

As they navigate the country, these fugitives are constantly looking over their shoulders, anxious that the hunters may be hot on their trail.

The Hunters are an elite squad, comprising top police and military personnel equipped with state-of-the-art resources, including live CCTV, ANPR, GPS tracking, drones, tracker dogs, mobile phone surveillance, and strategic publicity campaigns—all backed by the full powers of the state.

Yesterday, Gio promoted his own headline tour The Last Dance, which will run from January to May. He wrote online: ‘I’m back baby!’

Giovanni appeared on the Italian version of Strictly, where, on Saturday, he made show history with five tens.

A source said: ‘Gio is pleased he was cleared of the serious allegations and is optimistic about the future.’

But despite making history on the Italian show, Giovanni reportedly hopes to return to Strictly Come Dancing next year in spite of the findings of the BBC’s misconduct report into his behaviour.

According to The Mirror, Giovanni has not given up hope of returning to Strictly and has only signed on for one series of Ballando Con Le Stelle.

Despite making history on the Italian show, Giovanni reportedly hopes to return to Strictly Come Dancing next year in spite of the findings of the BBC’s misconduct report into his behaviour 

A source said: ‘Giovanni has not given up on appearing on the Strictly stage. As far as he is concerned, he has been cleared and there is no reason why he couldn’t return. 

‘He has told his pals he is hoping to be back next year and is keen to speak to the BBC about it. He still feels very much part of the fold, and has a massive fan base who would no doubt welcome him back. 

‘But of course the final decision will be made by BBC bosses.’

It comes after Amanda revealed she held a summit of other Strictly Come Dancing contestants in her own home to swap stories of treatment on the show.

The actress, 52, said she and the other stars wept as they spoke of their experiences working with Giovanni.

And she added she is considering further action against the BBC after the Corporation apologised to her following her complaints over Giovanni.

In an interview with Victoria Derbyshire on Newsnight on Wednesday, Amanda described her time in the rehearsal room, where she said she ‘lost all sense of reality’.

Giovanni appeared on the Italian version of Strictly, where, on Saturday, he made show history with five tens

According to The Mirror , Giovanni has not given up hope of returning to Strictly and has only signed on for one series of Ballando Con Le Stelle 

She added she met up with other celebrities who were previously partnered with Pernice on the BBC show.

Revealing she invited the group to her house, Abbington said ‘we all cried, we all burst into tears.  

‘We just wanted to make sure that we weren’t on our own and thinking this had just happened to us.’

‘Everyone I spoke to all said the same thing, it wasn’t pleasant and it wasn’t what everyone else was going through in the other [rehearsal] rooms.’

The actress told Newsnight when asked about how she will proceed now the report has been published, that she is ‘taking guidance from my lawyer on a day to day basis.’

The star told Newsnight that the ordeal after working with Giovanni had been the most difficult of her life. 

‘It has been one of the worst years of my life, I have been through a lot, women go through a lot,’ she said.

‘I have had to deal with a myriad of horrible things that have continued to happen just for complaining.’

It is one of Mr Pernice’s wrongdoings which can now be disclosed after the much-anticipated verdict was unveiled on Monday which cleared him of the most serious allegations of physical aggression, but upheld verbal bullying and harassment.

Meanwhile, Giovanni said he was ‘pleased’ to be cleared of ‘threatening and abusive behaviour.’

The report also told how they had upheld six out of 17 allegations from Ms Abbington. The report said that Mr Pernice – a perfectionist – ‘was swearing and using what could be described as belittling language’ which it said amounted to bullying behaviour.

Amanda revealed she held a summit of other Strictly Come Dancing contestants in her own home to swap stories of treatment on the show 

The BBC apologised to the former Sherlock actress and also thanked her for coming forward to raise her grievances.

Within the report of the six-month long investigation which cost the licence fee payers upwards of £250,000, investigators found that the Italian dance star had used belittling language. On another occasion he said: ‘I’m tired of it, if you want to look s*** I don’t care.’

Ms Abbington’s complaint that Mr Pernice would get frustrated with her while teaching her to dance was also upheld by the panel. However, it can be revealed that he told her: ‘You have such talent and you’re not using it.’

Another time he told her: ‘I don’t know how to ask you anymore,’ while another comment saw him tell her ‘it has been four days now and I don’t know what to do’, was also deemed to be wrongful behaviour.

In another outburst, Mr Pernice, 34, said ‘f*****’ while teaching her how to do a routine.

Meanwhile, the allegation that the Sicilian born ballroom star had also given negative feedback was upheld, one example of which was him throwing his arms in the air and saying ‘f***.’ As a result, Mr Pernice was told by the BBC that he didn’t adapt enough to Ms Abbington’s needs.

Of the two complaints which were upheld of a sexual nature, one saw Mr Pernice grab his crotch and utter a lewd remark. He also told his dance partner that he ‘wanted to f***’ her. That comment came after Ms Abbington had pulled off a great move in the training studio and Mr Pernice was thrilled.

Despite many of Ms Abbington’s serious allegations being thrown out by the BBC, they did say sorry to her. In a statement released on Monday, they said: ‘The BBC has now concluded its review into the complaints made by Amanda Abbington against Giovanni Pernice.

‘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.’

In response, Ms Abbington said: ‘As the BBC has indicated today in its statement, my decision to come forward and complain about Giovanni Pernice’s conduct towards me was not an easy thing to do.

‘In the days, weeks and months since I contacted the BBC, I’ve been accused of being a liar, a troublemaker and of being ‘mad and unstable.’

The BBC launched an investigation in April after Ms Abbington made a formal complaint to them about Mr Pernice.

It came three months after she told a red top newspaper that she got post-traumatic stress disorder from her time on Strictly.

Amanda is considering further action against the BBC after the Corporation apologised to her following her complaints over Giovanni

Mr Pernice’s spokesperson said the dancer is ‘relieved’ after the ‘majority’ of claims against him were dismissed

Speaking of the review coming to an end, Mr Pernice told the Mail: ‘I’m glad the review has finally come to an end. I’m relieved that the allegations that I was threatening and abusive were found not to be true.

‘It has been an extremely difficult year, reading story after story and not being able to say anything in return as I respected the integrity of the review, which the BBC asked everyone to do.

‘I loved my time on Strictly and made some amazing memories. But now I am fully focused on Dancing With The Stars in Italy and supporting my dance partner Bianca.

‘I’m grateful to all those who have supported me at this time – I really don’t know how I would have got through this without the love and belief of my family, friends, colleagues and fans.’