Jessica Wright splits from Giovanni Pernice after the Strictly hunk ‘struggled with her popularity’
JUST a month ago, Strictly hunk Giovanni Pernice gushed that his romance with Jessica Wright would not succumb to the show’s infamous curse when it returns later this year.
And he was right — they didn’t even get that far.
I can reveal Italian pro dancer Gio and Mark Wright’s sister have split after hooking up last year, with former Towie star Jess devastated by his decision to waltz off.
A source close to Gio said: “He was really into Jess and did want to make a go of it, but he struggled with the attention she gets and her popularity.
“They’ve tried to keep things amicable and told people they have both agreed to go their separate ways, but he was the one who first suggested things were going to end.
“She has been really upset by this. It’s a real shame but hopefully things will stay civil.”
The pair, who hooked up after Gio split with his former Strictly dance partner Georgia May Foote, have documented the romance with a string of loved-up social media snaps and insisted last month that their relationship could go the distance.
He said: “Of course I want to settle, darling, I’m Italian. I want to have a big family, it’s just not the time.
“I’m 27 years old — I really want to dance has much as I can.”
On the dreaded Strictly curse he added: “I don’t believe in it. I always say you are the owner of your life.
“People can be really clever or not. We are dancers, we are used to doing this all our lives.
“I’ve been dancing 20 years — this is my job.
“It’s like an actor who has to kiss somebody on screen.”
Nice work if you can get it.
Giovanni certainly seems to have a knack for wooing beautiful women then making an unexpected exit.
Lock up your daughters...
Georgia's finding it Toff on top
SINCE winning I’m A Celeb, Georgia Toffolo has had plenty of work offers... but her love life has dried up.
The 2017 jungle queen reckons she’s now too famous to meet a man.
Speaking at Barefoot Wine’s House Of Sole bash in London, she said: “It’s very rare to meet someone that doesn’t recognise me now because the show is so big.
“I worry before going on a date that I’ve been pre-judged.
“When I walk down the street, people shout from their cars and vans.
“At the moment I’m single and happy but a bit of Sunday-night company wouldn’t go amiss.”
Looking like this, I’m sure she won’t be single for long.
WHAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF
DREAMS really can come true for Nineties star Gabrielle, who makes her musical comeback today – 11 years after releasing her last album.
The singer has unveiled the first single from her new album Under My Skin, called Show Me, which is perhaps one of her most powerful tunes yet.
But East London lass Gabrielle – who had a No1 hit with debut Dreams in 1993 – has admitted in a revealing interview that she has been suffering “panic attacks” ahead of her album’s release.
It is the latest episode in her long-standing battle with nerves.
The Hackney-born star said: “My nerves are worse than ever.
“I’ve always been nervous but the more time goes on and the more I do, the pressure is on and I feel I am my worst ever critic.
“And before anyone can say anything bad about me, I could say 20million things far worse about myself.
“I will literally have people pushing me on to the stage when the time is nigh – I do some vocal exercises because I feel like I’m having panic attacks.
“How am I having panic attacks when I’m middle-aged? But the older I get, the more pressure I feel under.”
Yet Gabrielle, who will play Brighton’s Pride Festival on August 5 alongside Britney Spears and Pixie Lott, admitted the nerves will be worth it for the fans.
She also teased the possibility of collaborating with James Arthur – after they first started messaging following his time on The X Factor in 2012.
She said: “I love James’s voice. I love him and we’ve been in contact so maybe in the future we will do something.”
— DUA Lipa looked like she’d overslept before her gig in Sweden.
The pop star arrived in a satin bra and jacket as she took to the stage just a day before she and Calvin Harris release their new video for their No1 smash One Kiss.
MIKE HAS ’ TIME FOR MISSUS
MIKE Skinner’s wife doesn’t need to lock down her aerial to hear her man’s music.
I can reveal The Streets frontman has been missing Claire Le Marquand so much he has been patching her into their live shows via FaceTime.
He’s been secretly placing his phone by the drum kit so she can watch and hear every moment on stage.
The sweet touch comes as The Streets last night kicked off the first of three massive sold-out shows at London’s Brixton O2 Academy after they reformed for a one-off tour back in October.
Mike has credited Claire and his children Amelia and George for turning his life around after previously admitting to dabbling in drugs the first time round.
— MILLIE Mackintosh tests out how she’d look in the I’m A Celebrity jungle, earning my vote for ITV bosses to sign her up. Immediately.
AVENGERS IS INFINITELY FINE
MOVIE REVIEW
IT’S the year’s biggest blockbuster, starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Robert Downey Jr and Scarlett Johansson, but is Avengers: Infinity War worth the hype? Here, Sun movie critic Jamie East offers a spoiler-free lowdown ahead of today’s UK release.
This epic is likely to smash box-office records – but will it do so in style or with brute force? The answer is style.
It’s deft, with huge heart and emotional wallop. After a decade-long build-up, it satisfies on almost every level, leaving you feeling that bad guy Thanos has punched you in the gut, tickled you then ripped out your heart.
The beauty is seeing our heroes interact for the first time. It could have been chaotic but directors the Russo brothers give each group just enough time to size each other up and get the hell on with it.
The last ten minutes will – and I apologise for sounding like a 16-year-old Instagram influencer – have you feeling ALL the feels. It’s an incredible film.
There were at least four moments when the entire cinema gasped and punched the air. If you thought Marvel were flagging after ten years of relentless action, Infinity War part one suggests they haven’t even got started.
★★★★★
- Don’t miss Jamie’s full Avengers review in tomorrow’s Sun.
RACHEL Weisz relished her “lovely” sex scenes with Rachel McAdams in new movie Disobedience.
Rachel, married to James Bond star Daniel Craig, told US mag Entertainment Weekly: “I’m always spending time with men in fictions, so for me it was just really unusual and lovely.
“As a woman, you’re often the object of the man’s desire but there was something so different about the female gaze.”
McAdams added: “Energetically, it was very different.
“It was the most raw and vulnerable love-making scene I’ve done.”
If 007 can’t keep a girl’s eye from wandering, there’s no hope for any of us.
BIZMETER
- AT the rate Brooklyn Beckham is covering himself in ink, he could soon be stripping off in public and we’d be none the wiser. Mercifully, he’s sticking to Instagram for the time being, where he uploaded this snap showing off his tattoo collection yesterday.
- JAMES TW is killing it with new single Say Love, a ballad which reminds me of some of Ed Sheeran’s work. James, who was discovered by Shawn Mendes and is signed to his Island Records label, peaked at No28 in the charts with 2016 single When You Love Someone.
- DWAYNE Johnson’s Rampage is still the UK’s No1 movie as the sun dried up box-office takings, adding just £1.4million as warm weather kept people away. A Quiet Place and The Guernsey Literary And Potato Peel Pie Society, with Lily James, are in second and third spots.
- NILE Rodgers has been breaking more than guitar strings in the studio. The CHIC icon revealed he shattered his nose after tripping on stairs. Yesterday he shared a clip of himself holding a bloody tissue to his nose, and captioned it: “Who’s life is more #crazy than mine?”