Strictly’s Giovanni Pernice and Jess Wright have been secretly dating for a month – despite Debbie McGee romance rumours
The surprising new couple were pictured looking cosy during a date to watch Dream Girls in the West End last month
STRICTLY Come Dancing's Giovanni Pernice and Jess Wright have been dating in secret for a month, The Sun Online can exclusively reveal.
The pair were pictured looking cosy enjoying a drink before watching Dream Girls in the West End last month, with onlookers noticing their intimate body language.
Last week we revealed Jess, 32, and Giovanni, 27, were pictured having a tense discussion outside Soho House in London, and now a friend of Jess has confirmed they're dating.
They told The Sun Online: "They've been on a few dates, but it's early days. They met through her brother Mark's Strictly connections from when he was on the show and they're getting to know each other."
Meanwhile an onlooker at the musical who saw the pair told The Sun Online: "Giovanni was in the stalls bar and he bought two drinks, then Jess arrived. She was wearing all black, but it wasn't like she was hiding or anything. Giovanni was taking pictures with fans, but no-one seemed to notice Jess.
"She was really glammed up. It was obvious to everyone it was a date. They were talking really closely, leaning into each other. Their body language looked like they'd known each other for a while.
"They finished their drinks and went into the show and sat just behind me. They must have stepped out early as I didn't see them at the end."
The Sun Online has approached Giovanni's spokesperson for comment.
Jess's spokesperson had no comment to add.
The surprising pairing comes after Giovanni had a fling with Luba Mushtuk, who works on Strictly as a choreographer and back-up dancer.
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She was believed to have been jealous of his close relationship with dance partner Debbie McGee, who he was romantically linked with throughout the series.
A source told The Sun at the time: "Luba and Giovanni are together. But she doesn’t like Debbie, because of their bond — she feels how much Gio cares for her.
“It’s also upsetting as she would like their romance to be out in the open. Luba is very keen to be on the show one day.
“She assists with choreography. But that means she has to spend a lot of time watching Giovanni rehearse with Debbie which can be uncomfortable for her.”
But now Strictly is over it seems he's moved onto Jess who is currently looking better than ever after embarking on a strict fitness regime.
She's just released her brand new DVD, 4 Week Fat Burner, a no-nonsense plan to drop weight in a short amount of time.
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