Giovanni Pernice breaks silence on his future at the BBC after Amanda Abbington bullying row

GIOVANNI Pernice has spoken for the first time about his future at the BBC - casting doubt over his return to Strictly and his travel show with Anton Du Beke.

The Italian dancer, 34, said he needed a “break” after a BBC investigation upheld complaints against him following a bullying row on the show’s series last year with his celebrity partner Amanda Abbington.

Speaking on the How To Be Famous podcast with former Strictly contestant Debbie McGee’s nephew James Phelan, Giovanni said: “As I said before, you never know what is going to be next.

“Strictly, like every other of those jobs when you have to give your life 100 per cent - they are quite tiring you know?

“When I said I need a break, I need a break, but never say never?”

Meanwhile the dancer also hinted at the end of his Adventures In travel series with Strictly judge Anton, 58.

The pair previously visited Giovanni’s native Sicily and Spain for the BBC One shows.

Speaking about a new series, he said: “No we don’t know yet. I think the budget for the BBC is quite low so we just keep doing what we are doing.

“It’s a shame because it was a successful show, I think it had over four to five million viewers.”

Gio also said his future on the Italian version of Strictly Come Dancing was undecided - despite reaching the semi-finals with Italian actress Bianca Guaccero, 43.

He said: “It is the same as you said to me before about Strictly, I don’t know? I will tell you why, I am focused on the eight months of tour that is coming up.”

Speaking about Strictly, Gio said: “It’s never been about the glitterball, it has always been about making sure those celebrities will look good on Saturday night.

“Because when you have got Strictly you have got 13 weeks and every week is an achievement.

“It’s not like a big movie it is like short videos - every week is a different dance, it’s a different thing so that is the ambition.”

After Amanda spoke exclusively to The Sun on Sunday about her ordeal with Gio, a BBC inquiry revealed it had upheld six out of 17 complaints she made against him.

Gio joined the show in 2015 — reaching the final in his first year with actress Georgia May Foote, 33, and ­triumphing in 2021 with EastEnders star Rose Ayling-Ellis, 30.

Asked if he prepares all of the routines, he said: “It depends, if you are a psychopath like me then, yes, I plan everything because I care about what I do. Some people just take it week by week.

“Sometimes you have got a celebrity that can really show off like with Debbie [McGee] or with Faye [Tozer], a lot of people that have ‘dance experience’ before.

“Sometimes you have to step back because your celebrity is not that great so you try and give them the space to show.”

Gio laughed when asked if he had ever thought “for God’s sake” when paired with a celebrity partner.

Laughing, Gio said: “Yes, a few times, a few times, but that is the truth, that is the reality.

“If you brought me here and any of the professional dancers said ‘no’ - it’s a lie.

“But as a good professional you just deal with it, make it work until the end and try to get out of it as much as you can.”

The Sun on Sunday previously revealed how show execs felt that a comeback for the dancer was not possible after they apologised to his celebrity partner, actress Amanda Abbington, 50, over her ordeal last series.

A source at the BBC said: “While it’s recognised Giovanni remains popular with a lot of Strictly viewers, there is a robust acceptance that he can’t return to the show, ever.

“His time on Strictly is over. There’s no way back for him. That’s not a formal punishment, that’s a decision taken at a corporate level, concerned with protecting the reputation of what is a huge Saturday night family show.”

The BBC changed its processes in light of the probe, including getting chaperones to monitor couples during rehearsals.