Lisa Armstrong 'shows support' for Strictly's Giovanni Pernice after Amanda Abbington 'abuse' claims
Strictly Come Dancing makeup artist Lisa Armstrong has appeared to show her support for Giovanni Pernice after he issued a statement about claims made by Amanda Abbington
Strictly make-up artist Lisa Armstrong has appeared to have shown her support for professional dancer Giovanni Pernice after he denied allegations made about "threatening or abusive" during his training sessions with Amanda Abbington.
The Italian dancer, an ex of Maura Higgins, is rumoured to have quit the BBC dance competition, vowing to clear his name after an internal investigation. Lisa - who is Ant McPartlin's ex and head of make-up on the show - has appeared to have showed her support for him by liking a statement in which Giovanni breaks his silence about the claims.
Amanda reportedly told friends that Giovanni was "abrasive" during training for the show and she eventually quit the competition citing "medical reasons" and now the Strictly dancer has had his say. In a post on social media, Giovanni wrote: "To my dear fans, You will be as surprised as I am that allegations have been made about my dance teaching methods in the media this week. Of course, I reject any suggestion of abusive or threatening behaviour, and I look forward to clearing my name. Those who have followed my journey on Strictly Come Dancing over the last decade will know that I am passionate and competitive. No-one is more ambitious for my dance partners than me."
The dancer continued: I have always striven to help them be the very best dancers they can be. This has always come from a place of love and wanting to win - for me and my dance partners. Thank you all once again for your continued love and support! Giovanni."
In a separate statement to The Sun, Giovanni added how it has "come from a place of love and wanting to win". However, a source told The Sun that Amanda had a "terrible time" with Giovanni and felt that his behaviour was "bullying and abrasive". Lisa, who is the ex-wife of Ant McPartlin, was among the thousands who liked the statement on Instagram.
A source has claimed that Amanda would be "in tears" after their communication broke down and said she "tried every avenue to try and make it work". The source added: "She desperately wanted it to work but invariably it would break down. An urgent medical condition eventually allowed her to quit."
The BBC has declined to comment on the claims. The Mirror has reached out to Amanda Abbington's reps for comment.
Following news that Giovanni had quit Strictly, the BBC told The Mirror that the dancers for the 2024 series are yet to be finalised and the line-up of pros will be announced in due course. A BBC spokesperson said: "The Professional Dancers for Strictly Come Dancing 2024 will be announced in due course."
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