Giovanni Pernice has triumphed on the Italian version of Strictly Come Dancing and has hinted at wedding bells with his celebrity dance partner, Bianca Guaccero.
The 34 year old professional dancer lifted the trophy on Saturday after his first stint on Ballando Con Le Stelle. When their win was confirmed, Giovanni took to social media to say: “Thank you all so much,” before adding: “I cannot believe it.”
This followshis controversial departure from the BBC‘s Strictly amidst an investigation into allegations of bullying his 2023 dance partner Amanda Abbington—allegations he strongly refutes.
When pressed about marriage plans with Bianca, Giovanni coyly remarked: “If we win the show, I’ll seriously think about it.”
The blossoming romance between Giovanni and the 43 year old actress and singer was confirmed just last month, seemingly developing as they spent time together during the competition. Giovanni expressed deep feelings for Bianca in a heartfelt clip before their performance: “Bianca is my priority. She has been my priority from the beginning. She is still my priority today and will be until the end of the show and beyond.”
A visibly moved Bianca responded warmly: “Being someone’s priority is something new for me. I have always been the one taking care of others.”
She continued to reveal how this experience has profoundly impacted her: “It’s an amazing feeling. It’s something I’m discovering at the age of forty-three. Having someone next to me who is proud of me and is happy for my happiness is something new to me. This has never happened to me in my life.”, reports the Mirror.
The couple, having intimately integrated their lives by meeting each other’s families and touring their respective hometowns in London and Italy, seems more connected than ever. Bianca opened up during the December 21 interview, saying: “I had a heavy stone on my heart, I had difficulty believing in true love. When I met Giovanni I felt at home and I was in London with him and then 24 hours with my parents. I wanted to introduce him to the country and the people I love.”
However, the dance professional’s reputation underwent scrutiny as the BBC concluded its investigation regarding allegations made by actress Amanda Abbington.
In September, Abbington made a series of allegations against Pernice, but after a comprehensive six-month enquiry, Giovanni was cleared of all but a select few claims which centred around instances of verbal bullying and harassment.
From the 16 charges levelled at Pernice, 6 were substantiated, including some related to his use of inappropriate language; the report noted such language could seem ‘belittling’ towards his partner.
Notwithstanding these events, Pernice graced the Strictly stage in last night’s milestone episode celebrating two decades of the show.