STRICTLY Come Dancing's Giovanni Pernice "thinks a lot of himself", a former show professional has exclusively revealed.
Brendan Cole, who starred on Strictly for 15 series', spoke out amid claims Giovanni's partner Amanda Abbington 'threatened to quit'.
Insiders told how the duo were at loggerheads behind the scenes and Amanda was upset over Gio's 'militant' approach to training.
The Sherlock actress, 49, had even spoken to her team about quitting the BBC show as it all got too much.
Brendan, 47, has now given his opinion on the couple's clash.
What Ola and James Jordan really ate and did to shed 7st
Speaking to The Sun on behalf of Sky Bingo, Brendan said: "Let’s say Giovanni Pernice did a bit of choreography that she [Amanda Abbington] didn't like. She's quite a good dancer, I think she knows what she's doing.
"If that is the case, that they are having a bit of a clash, and Giovanni is quite a full-on character, in terms of personalities within the show.
"I don't think it's wrong for me to say, he thinks a lot of himself, if I could be so bold.
"So therefore, he's going to have a big personality in the studio, which as you'd expect, and as you'd want out of your professional partner, if you're getting along with them.
"If you're not getting along with them, the clash starts and the relationship implodes."
He added: "The hardest part about Strictly is if you don't gel with your partner, you are in such trouble.
"You spend such a lot of time together, it's so intense, the training is intense, the time you spend together in the studio, sometimes for hours, sometimes eight hours, sometimes longer.
"That connection that you have, if you've got a great relationship, it bolsters the relationship, it encourages, it makes it an amazing experience for both parties, the celeb and the pro.
"If there's a little bit of tension, it's such an uncomfortable feeling.
Ola and James Jordan detail how weight loss has reignited their sex life
"You’re spending all this time with somebody that you actually don't like pretty much [and] they don't like you, you might not be a bad person, they might not be a bad person, but you are spending time with somebody that's not on your wish list."
After news of the rift broke, both Strictly's Giovanni and Amanda seemed keen to put on a united front on social media.
Amanda posted a smiley snap of herself in rehearsals ahead of last Saturday's live show.
Her caption read: "The smile you give your Pro partner at the end of the camera rehearsal when you know you are in safe and hugely talented hands. @giovannipernice ya legend. See you all tomorrow @bbcstrictly."
Giovanni then took the unusual step of heaping praise on Amanda, admitting he didn't usually do that before the first show.
He reshared her post and added: "I usually don't say these things early (as probably everybody know) but I'm extremely proud of you and I can't wait for people to watch what we have created."
A show source had previously revealed that Giovanni can sometimes be "brusk" in his manner.
“Giovanni is a hard taskmaster and takes the competition very, very seriously," the source told The Sun.
“Sometimes his manner is incredibly brusque and this can upset his partners.
"Amanda was really looking forward to dancing with him, but has found his aggressive training style and attitude pretty difficult to handle.
“He is quite militant in his approach to training. She’s been left very shaken, and has liaised with her team about quitting."
