As Giovanni Pernice continues to maintain his innocence amid controversial allegations made against him while a professional dancer on Strictly Come Dancing, he's had one main supporter by his side.
Now that the BBC show is far behind him as he focuses on the pursuit of other ventures, he has made no secret of his love of judge Anton du Beke, as the pair carry out their Together live tour. The pair have been performing in front of a packed crowd since they kick-started their tour. But over the weekend, many were left scratching their heads as he made a bizarre comparison to Netflix drama Baby Reindeer, which tells the story of Martha who stalks Richard Gadd's character Donny.
Performing at the Hexagon Theatre in Reading on Saturday June 15, the 33 year old dancer reportedly told the audience: "I have basically become a bit obsessed with you. I like everything you do. I want to be as great as you are. It is a bit like Baby Reindeer. When I met you life changed." Baby Reindeer is the hit series said to be inspired by real life experiences of comedian Richard Gadd who claimed he was stalked by a woman.
In the show, one of the main characters is a convicted stalker, but the woman on whom the character is based has complained that she is identifiable, and is now taking legal action against the streaming service. Richard played struggling comic Donny while Jessica Gunning who played Martha, seemingly had similarities to the real-life Martha. According to The Sun, BBC investigators were told that Giovanni allegedly grabbed his crotch in front of his celebrity dance partners during rehearsals.
Giovanni Pernice has compared himself to Baby Reindeer character Martha due to his fondness of Anton du Beke (Instagram/ @giovannipernice)
Giovanni Pernice and Anton du Beke have been performing to a packed crowd on their Together tour (Instagram/ @giovannipernice)A source told the publication: "It’s alleged he would grab his crotch in front of them if they did something good in rehearsals." The allegation seems to draw a comparison between that and a scene in the Netflix show where Martha grabs the crotch of Donny late at night after being cornered walking along a canal.
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The allegations against Giovanni came after Sherlock actress Amanda Abbington claimed that she suffered from mild PTSD from her time with the pro dancer on the show. His training techniques have been described as "abusive" and "threatening." Presenter Laura Whitmore and another celebrity, who preferred to remain anonymous, backed Amanda's claims.
Recently, Giovanni released a statement on June 15, before reports surfaced that read he "rejected any suggestions of abusive or threatening behaviour." He added: "As requested, I have stayed silent, but I am looking forward to the conclusion of the investigation. I am so happy to be back on tour and I look forward to clearing my name."
In a recent performance, Giovanni and Anton were seen wearing matching black and white suits as they took to the stage. Giovanni addressed the audience saying: "It's nice to be back." Refusing to mention Strictly, he added: "This is the most beautiful thing you know I am alright. I am alright." The dancing duo were joined on stage by another pro dancer Lauren Oakley, who informed the audience that Giovanni was "cheeky" and made her "laugh lots."
The Mirror has contacted a representative of Giovanni for a comment.
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