jungle jive
Strictly’s Giovanni Pernice ‘lined up for I’m A Celebrity with £100k fee’ amid Amanda Abbington complaints row
Laura Whitmore - who was partnered with Gio in 2016 - has now broke her silence
GIOVANNI Pernice is being lined-up for I'm a Celebrity with a huge £100,000 fee amid his Strictly row with Amanda Abbington, it's been reported.
The 33-year-old dancer was caught up in the BBC probe into Strictly Come Dancing misconduct after complaints from actress Amanda, 50.
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Giovanni left Strictly when the allegations first came to light and now it's been claimed he's set to enter the jungle later this year.
An insider told : "As long as those at the top are satisfied that Giovanni isn't a bully and didn't behave inappropriately during Strictly, they will be signing him up.
"They are very aware of how much Strictly viewers will miss him, he's a true fans' favourite, so they hope he will draw in big audiences.
"Just imagine him on I'm A Celeb, he would be a favourite to win and they know he would be very good value in the jungle."
More on Giovanni Pernice
The BBC probe will come to a close this week, with Gio and Amanda set to learn the outcome within days.
Over the the weekend Laura Whitmore - who was partnered with Gio in 2016 - confirmed she and six others had complained to bosses.
In a social media statement she said: ";I thought my experience was specific to me but I’ve since learned I was wrong.
"The aim of this is to show a pattern of behaviour I believe needs to stop. My evidence is to support other people’s experience. It’s a shame it takes this for someone to be heard."
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Amanda recently branded Gio "abusive, cruel and mean" as she opened about her experience in the rehearsal room with him last year.
And Gio's former co-star Graziano Di Prima was axed from the show earlier this month.
Amanda Abbington compares Strictly training to ‘the Marines’ saying relationship with Giovanni was ‘disastrously unworkable’
The shock move came after allegations he "hit, spat at and kicked" his 2023 partner Zara McDermott.
Strictly's Full Scandal So Far
Strictly Come Dancing's scandal has been growing over the past few months, with several major players speaking out about what went on. Here are the key moments of what's happened so far
16th May: Giovanni Pernice sensationally quits Strictly Come Dancing after nine years on the show.
17th May: Giovanni becomes the centre of an official investigation after three former partners – believed to be Amanda Abbington, Laura Whitmore and Ranvir Singh – make complaints to the BBC.
16th June: Giovanni releases an official statement vowing to clear his name and denies any wrongdoing.
8th July: Strictly confirms Aljaz Skorjanec will return to the series, replacing Giovanni, after initially quitting the show two years ago.
10th July: Amanda Abbington launches fresh legal proceedings to get the rehearsal footage from her time with Giovanni, after allegedly he refused to release the videos.
13th July: Graziano Di Prima is axed from Strictly for "gross misconduct" after footage of his treatment of Zara McDermott is brought to the attention of the BBC.
Graziano quickly broke his silence, apologising for his behaviour in a statement and saying he "deeply regrets it", adding his "intense passion and determination to win might have affected his training regime."
15th July: Strictly bosses implement new duty of care protocols, including having a chaperone present throughout all rehearsals.
16th July: Zara McDermott speaks out publicly for first time. She states while the production team were "amazing to work with", she found the rehearsal room "completely different", confirming there's footage of "certain situations".
19th July: Anton Du Beke is put under the spotlight for his "1970s attitude" and treatment of female celeb stars, particularly after allegedly referring to 2009 partner Laila Rouass as a "p***" after getting a spray tan.
21st July: Paralympian Will Bayley, who has limb condition arthrogryposis, revealed he was encouraged to leap from a table during a dance routine, despite fears. The stunt caused an injury that forced him to withdraw from the show.
22nd July: MasterChef's Gregg Wallace admits he broke down in tears and got a nasty stress rash on his face during his time on Strictly in 2014.
22nd July: Despite ongoing issues, the Strictly professional cast begin rehearsals for this year's series.
23rd July: Celebrity agent Melanie Blake claims she was sexually assaulted by an unnamed pro dancer while backstage on the show, and claims she witnessed ageism, rudeness and a rough treatment to the point of injury.
23rd July: Strictly is forced to beef up security after 'an intruder scales the wall of the rehearsal studio'.
23rd July: BBC boss Tim Davie breaks his silence on the ongoing allegations against Strictly, saying he is 'deeply sorry', adding: "Hundreds of people, be they pros, contestants or crew have been part of it and had a brilliant experience.
"At the same time if someone thinks there was something wrong or they want to talk about their experience then of course we want them to raise that with us. Be in no doubt we will take it seriously, listen and deal with it as appropriate."
24th July: Strictly 2023 star Krishnan Guru-Murthy holds a bombshell interview with Amanda Abbington on Channel 4 news, where she claims she was bullied, with some of the 'humilation being of a sexual nature'.
27th July: Laura Whitmore releases a statement regarding her Strictly experience, saying "I thought my experience was specific to me but I’ve since learned I was wrong".
She adds she is not part of the official complaint, but has come forward to support Amanda with the BBC, alongside others.
28th July: Laila Rouass speaks out against the accusations regarding Anton Du Beke, saying she "never felt pressured" by him and "personally insisted on six to seven hours training a day".
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