Giovanni Pernice facts for kids

Giovanni Pernice (born 5 September 1990) is a professional dancer from Italy. He is well-known for being a dancer on the British TV show Strictly Come Dancing. Giovanni is also an Italian Open Latin Dance Champion from 2012. He holds Guinness World Records for the most Jive kicks and flicks, and for Charleston swivels.

In June 2024, the BBC announced that Giovanni would no longer be part of Strictly Come Dancing. This decision followed several complaints about his coaching style from his dance partners.

Early life and dance journey

Giovanni Pernice was born in Palermo, Sicily, Italy, on 5 September 1990. When he was 14, he moved to Bologna to focus on his dance training. He decided to become a dancer after watching the British ballroom dance show Come Dancing.

Giovanni specializes in Latin dance styles. He has won many dance competitions. His most notable win was the Italian Open Championship in 2012. He was part of the Federazione Italiana Danza Sportiva, which is connected to the World DanceSport Federation. He competed at different levels from 2007 to 2014. He also came in second place at the International Open Latin in Slovenia in 2014. He won other competitions in Italy and Spain. His dance partners during these competitions included Erika Attisano and Alexandra Koldan.

Dance career

Dancing on Strictly Come Dancing

Giovanni Pernice joined Strictly Come Dancing as a professional dancer in 2015. This was for the show's thirteenth series.

• In 2015, he danced with actress Georgia May Foote. They made it to the final and finished as runners-up.
• In 2016, he partnered with TV presenter Laura Whitmore. They were eliminated in Week 7, finishing in 9th place.
• In 2017, he danced with TV presenter Debbie McGee. They reached the final and were also runners-up.
• In 2018, his partner was singer Faye Tozer from Steps. For the third time, Giovanni reached the final and finished as a runner-up.
• In 2019, he was partnered with TV personality Michelle Visage. They reached week 9 of the competition.
• In 2020, he and his partner Ranvir Singh reached the semi-final.
• In 2021, Giovanni won Strictly Come Dancing with actress Rose Ayling-Ellis. Rose was the first deaf contestant on the show. They achieved the earliest perfect score of 40 in Strictly history with their Tango during the Halloween special. Their Couple's Choice routine, which included a silent moment, won an 'Unmissables' Award from Heat.
• In 2022, Giovanni was partnered with TV presenter Richie Anderson. They were eliminated in week 3, which was Giovanni's earliest exit from the show.
• In 2023, he danced with actress Amanda Abbington. She had to miss a show for medical reasons and later withdrew from the competition.

Giovanni holds the record for the most 'tens' awarded by judges on Strictly, with a total of 97. He has also topped the weekly leaderboard more times than any other professional dancer. He is sometimes called 'The King of Halloween' because he has been at the top of the leaderboard during Halloween Week in every series he has competed in.

Giovanni has also appeared on Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two, a spin-off show. On this show, he broke two Guinness World Records. In December 2016, he performed 55 Jive kicks and flicks in 30 seconds. In December 2017, he completed 24 Charleston swivel steps in 30 seconds.

Departure from Strictly

In early 2024, there were reports about concerns regarding Giovanni's training methods. Some former dance partners, including Amanda Abbington, Laura Whitmore, and Ranvir Singh, discussed their experiences. A law firm stated there were "numerous serious complaints" about his behavior during filming. Giovanni denied any wrongdoing. On 10 June 2024, the BBC confirmed his departure from the show.

In September 2024, it was reported that the BBC had apologized to Amanda Abbington. Her complaints of verbal bullying and harassment against Giovanni were upheld. However, allegations of physical aggression were rejected. Amanda Abbington said the apology felt like a "vindication." Giovanni maintained his denial of wrongdoing and expressed relief that the more serious accusations were dismissed. The BBC acknowledged that their actions to address the issues were not enough and planned to review their internal rules.

Top and lowest scores for each dance

Dancing on Ballando con le Stelle

In September 2024, Giovanni was announced as a professional partner for the 19th series of Ballando con le Stelle. This is the Italian version of Strictly Come Dancing. He went on to win the show in December 2024 with his partner, actress and TV presenter Bianca Guaccero.

Strictly Come Dancing Performance Summary

Series 19: with Rose Ayling-Ellis (Winners)

Giovanni and Rose Ayling-Ellis won the 19th series of Strictly Come Dancing. Their Couple's Choice dance in Week 8 included a special silent part to honor the deaf community. Judge Anton Du Beke called it "the greatest thing I've ever seen on the show." This performance also won them the 2021 Heat Unmissables Award for TV Moment of the Year.

• Green number indicates Rose & Giovanni were at the top of the leaderboard.

Dance tours and other performances

Giovanni Pernice has been part of the national Strictly Come Dancing Live! tour many times. He danced with Georgia May Foote in 2016 and Debbie McGee in 2018. He also toured with Faye Tozer in 2019 and Rose Ayling-Ellis in 2022.

In 2016, Giovanni announced his first solo dance tour called Dance is Life. This means 'Il Ballo è Vita' in Italian. The tour had 32 shows across England, Scotland, and Wales in 2017. The shows received good reviews.

In September 2020, Giovanni and fellow dancer Anton Du Beke announced a UK tour for 2021 called HIM & ME. Giovanni also has his own solo tour called The Last Dance planned for 2025.

Personal life

In July 2021, Giovanni Pernice was in a relationship with social media influencer and TV personality Maura Higgins. They broke up four months later. Since 2024, Giovanni has been in a relationship with his Ballando con le Stelle partner, actress and TV presenter Bianca Guaccero.

See also

In Spanish: Giovanni Pernice para niños