Debbie McGee has spoken warmly about her former Strictly Come Dancing partner Giovanni Pernice, describing him as a "great teacher" during an appearance on ITV's Lorraine. The comments come weeks after the Italian professional dancer left the BBC programme following an investigation into complaints made by his 2023 partner Amanda Abbington.
Strictly investigation findings
Abbington withdrew from Strictly midway through the series citing "medical reasons" and later alleged she experienced a "toxic environment" during rehearsals, accusing Pernice of misconduct. Pernice strongly refuted the allegations. The BBC examined 17 complaints in total, upholding six while clearing Pernice of the 11 most serious accusations.
In a statement at the time, the BBC said: "We want to apologise to Amanda Abbington and to thank her for coming forward and taking part. We know this would not have been an easy thing to do."
Debbie McGee's tribute to Giovanni
McGee was partnered with Pernice in 2017, and the duo reached the final of series 15, finishing as runners-up. At 58, she became the oldest celebrity to reach the final up to that point. On Thursday (October 8), McGee appeared on Lorraine to discuss her first memoir, A Magical Life, and also reflected on her Strictly experience.
Host Lorraine Kelly complimented McGee, saying: "Honestly, you were incredible on Strictly. You set the bar very, very high." McGee then expressed her admiration for Pernice, saying: "There I was with Giovanni! I had a wonderful time, he was a great teacher. We both had the same sense of humour and work ethic, that's why, I think, we got on so well."
Giovanni's recent remarks
Pernice recently appeared on ITV's This Morning, where he discussed his mental health challenges with hosts Craig Doyle and Christine Lampard. Doyle remarked: "I appreciate it was a difficult time for you personally. It was also a difficult time for Amanda," to which Pernice agreed: "Absolutely."
Doyle continued: "She wouldn't have gone through the whole process had she not felt there was something in it." Pernice responded: "Everybody sees it differently, isn't it? I'm just talking factual. The investigation - this is what was upheld, this was what was not upheld. We both know what is the truth."
Strictly Come Dancing is available to stream on BBC iPlayer, while Lorraine airs weekdays on ITV1 at 9.30am.
