Former Strictly Come Dancing star Giovanni Pernice has said he considered suicide when the BBC "hung him out to dry" in the wake of his controversial departure.
A fan favourite during his time on the show, the Italian dancer competed on Strictly for a decade before his exit in 2024. His departure came after his previous year's partner Amanda Abbington quit the competition and went on to complain about him to the BBC, alleging bullying, abuse and physical violence.
Six allegations upheld
The BBC upheld six of the 17 allegations against Pernice – although none of the most serious claims – and earlier this month settled out of court with Abbington, paying the Sherlock star a five-figure sum that was covered by BBC Studios rather than the license fee.
In a new interview, Pernice, 35, has opened up about the toll the scandal took on him, with the 2021 series champion describing how he began "spiralling mentally" when Abbington's allegations were first reported on in the press.
"I went into this black hole"
"I went into this black hole," he told The Telegraph. "I'm a very work-oriented person… I was thinking, 'There's no place for me any more in this industry. So what's the point?'"
"That's when I thought, well, let's end this. There's no point. Let's end it. I'm never going to have back what I had."
Pernice, who reached the final four times on the show, said that he didn't have "any sort of anger" towards Abbington three years on, and instead felt "disappointed" with the BBC.
BBC response
"I feel they hung me out to dry to cover their backs. I was devastated by that," he said. "They didn't look after me… They washed their hands of it."
The BBC declined the Standard's request for comment.
Following the BBC's report into Pernice's behaviour on Strictly series 23 – and the BBC also finding that fellow pro Graziano Di Prima kicked partner Zara McDermott on the same series – the BBC introduced new welfare measures on the show.
From 2024 onwards, a production team member has been present in training room rehearsals at all times to act as a chaperone.
Strictly returns in September following a major overhaul at the show, which has seen long-time hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman replaced by three new presenters, and the exit of many beloved pro dancers.
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