Giovanni Pernice was spotted enjoying some downtime amid the drama in his professional life.
The former Strictly Come Dancing professional, 33, was seen for the first time publicly since the BBC show's head judge Shirley Ballas came out to defend him and claimed things were 'blown out of proportion' following his shock exit from Strictly amid a workplace "misconduct" probe.
Giovanni slammed "the latest accusations" against him over the weekend and vowed to clear his name amidst the ongoing BBC probe. The 33-year-old Italian dancer addressed "totally untrue stories" on social media early Sunday, expressing gratitude for fan support during the ongoing investigation.
Seen on Monday morning, the Italian dancer entered Silver Time Casino at 9:45am and stayed for almost an hour, leaving at 10:43am. The award-winning dancing then headed to Admiral Casino and Slots, departing around midday and going on to enjoy a pastry treat from PAUL Bakery.
Giovanni Pernice was spotted puffing on a cigarette as he enjoyed his day out (CLICK NEWS - SPLASH)
The former Strictly Come Dancing star went on to grab himself a snack (CLICK NEWS - SPLASH)Giovanni, absent from this year's Strictly Come Dancing lineup, has faced months of controversy over claims about his conduct during his previous appearance on the show, which he has vehemently denied. He was paired with actress Amanda Abbington, who exited the competition early last year and later disclosed her struggle with PTSD. Following complaints from Amanda and other past celebrity partners, it's understood that the BBC initiated an internal inquiry.
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As new allegations linked to Giovanni's supposed behaviour on the Strictly set surfaced Saturday night, he was quick to refute them. He took to Instagram in the wee hours of Sunday to issue a statement to his fans The dancer stated: "To my fans and followers, Every week, there are totally untrue stories about me in the media. As you know, I have always rejected any suggestion of abusive or threatening behaviour. The latest accusations are simply false."
The Italian dancer defended himself over the weekend (CLICK NEWS - SPLASH)
He appeared downcast at some points (CLICK NEWS - SPLASH)"I am cooperating fully with the ongoing BBC investigation, which will determine the truth. As requested, I have stayed silent, but I am looking forward to the conclusion of the investigation and ultimately clearing my name and establishing the truth. I am so happy to be back on tour. Thank you all for your continued support you messages and love mean so very much to me. I will hopefully see many of you very soon and I look forward to clearing my name. With love, Giovanni."
Blue singer Duncan James swiftly offered his support to Giovanni, commenting: "Stay strong my friend. The truth always comes out in the end. Sending u love my bro." "Stay strong. Your dedication and incredible talent will always shine brighter," Gillian McKeith chimed in. One fan also encouraged him, saying: "Stay strong Gio. We love you. Xxx."
Recently, the line-up for the upcoming series of Strictly was revealed, and Giovanni's name was conspicuously missing from the roster of returning professional dancers. Following the announcement of his sudden exit from the programme, he posted a video on Instagram Stories showing him resuming dance training.
Giovanni is cooperating with the investigation (CLICK NEWS - SPLASH)
The dancer maintains his innocence (CLICK NEWS - SPLASH)In the video, Giovanni can be seen leading multiple group dance lessons. He added three heart emojis to the post as a show of defiance, telling his fans he hasn't given up his passion for dancing. His video was reshared on the official Ballando account, and fans were quick to express their enthusiasm about witnessing Giovanni gracing the dance floor again.
This follows rumours suggesting he would not rejoin the 2024 cast as a leaked internal memo didn't include his name amongst this year's roster of professional dancers. Giovanni made his Strictly debut in 2015 reaching the final with Coronation Street star Georgia May Foote. His most notable achievement till date was when he lifted the glitterball trophy along with EastEnders star Rose Ayling-Ellis, who became the first deaf contestant ever to clinch the win.
Strictly judges have been supporting the under-fire star (CLICK NEWS - SPLASH)Previously, Giovanni rejected the accusations of exhibiting "abusive or threatening behaviour" and has expressed his eagerness to clear his name. The legal firm representing those complaining about him mentioned that the broadcaster is currently "gathering evidence"; BBC, however, hasn't confirmed yet if an investigation is underway.
Strictly Come Dancing's head judge Shirley Ballas threw her support behind the embattled Giovanni earlier this week, insisting: "The truth will come out." The dance show judge defended Giovanni, saying she's never seen him act inappropriately and mentioned he'll be sorely missed on the upcoming series of the hit BBC programme. She even extended an invite to him for a weekend bash, alongside fellow judge Anton Du Beke.
At a recent event at Chorleywood Memorial Hall in Hertfordshire, where she was promoting her latest book 'Murder on the Dancefloor', Ballas commented: "I know he is a hard worker. He wants the people to do the very best that they can do. Obviously in my life I was bullied a lot. I don't condone bullying on any path but also I don't believe gossip and what you read in the newspapers because things get escalated and they are blown way out of all proportion and it can turn into a great big snowball."
Giovanni has been supported by Strictly's head judge Shirley (CLICK NEWS - SPLASH)
The dancer is also close with judge Anton (CLICK NEWS - SPLASH)She continued, advocating for patience until the investigation into Giovanni is concluded: "So my feeling for Giovanni is, let them do this investigation or whatever it is they are doing and the truth will come out. So we don't judge anybody until I know absolutely 100 per cent. I won't pass on the gossip unless I know 100 per cent it is true. I have never ever, ever experienced any ill will or bad feeling or bad sportsmanship or rudeness from him. He will be missed."
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Shirley also shared that she had been in touch with Giovanni just before the event and commended his kindness towards her mother during her cancer diagnosis, adding: "I just spoke to Giovanni 30 minutes before coming here and I am going to one of his Ballando classes to teach the jive (with Anton).
"He is coming to my party with Anton on Sunday. You know, I can only talk from my own perspective. I have known Giovanni for 10 years. My mother loves him. It does not matter when he is on tour, or where he is or what he is doing, he will make his way across and he will say 'Lovely to see you Shirley. Lovely to see your mum'. I have got so many beautiful pictures, of the times that he spent, particularly when my mum was poorly, and he reached out. So he has always been to me, and I will make that clear, to me... a perfect gentleman."
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