"He is a fiery Italian, super strict - I am a bit scared of him."
Ranvir Singh has broken her silence as her former dance partner Giovanni Pernice “quit” Strictly Come Dancing.
The Italian is at the centre of controversy after it was reported that he dramatically quit the BBC One show after nearly 10 years as a pro.
Giovanni has been accused of being “too tough” with his celebrity dance partners.
Rumours began to swirl when Amanda Abbington unexpectedly quit Strictly 2023 and later confirmed she had quit due to stress.
Amanda even claimed she had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder following her time with Giovanni.
Although Giovanni has dismissed any claims of wrongdoing, reports suggested Amanda had a tearful meeting with Laura Whitmore and Ranvir Singh to discuss their “difficult experiences” with him.
Ranvir had hinted at her issues with Giovanni shortly after rehearsals began for the 2020 series.
Ahead of her series launch, she said on Good Morning Britain:
“Don’t be fooled by his angelic face!
“He is a fiery Italian, super strict – I am a bit scared of him.”
Ranvir ended up finishing in fifth place but also discussed having a meltdown in training and after the series ended, she ghosted him on social media.
Fans also noticed that Ranvir unfollowed her former dance partner a year after the series, before refollowing him.
Some have also raised suspicions about her lack of support for him in subsequent Strictly Come Dancing series.
As the allegations against Giovanni build up, Ranvir has broken her silence.
In an Instagram Story, Ranvir sidestepped the drama and instead chose to highlight an online yoga and relaxation session.
Laura Whitmore also voiced her concerns about training with Giovanni following her stint on the show in 2016.
During an interview on the Private Parts podcast in 2020, she said:
“I’m still not ready to talk in depth about my experience on the show.
“I was placed with a dance partner I was extremely uncomfortable with – and in the end I felt broken. I cried every day.
“And I really was broken, both mentally and physically, by the end.”
She complained about having to spend time with Giovanni “doing red carpets” and being removed from the other celebrities during training.
Laura added: “What I didn’t like was being removed from everybody and having to spend 12 hours a day with this one person.”
Amanda has been at the centre of the storm surrounding Giovanni and earlier in 2024, she requested BBC bosses hand over footage from her rehearsals, sparking speculation that she could be taking further action against the Italian pro.
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