Strictly’s Giovanni Pernice
The Strictly favourite on keeping fit, leaving home at 14 and dancing away his lockdown blues
How have you coped with the stresses of the past year?
“It’s not been the best, but I’ve established a routine. So, when I wake up in the morning, I do a workout, and then have meetings, and then my online dance class. That’s been keeping me busy and motivated. But hopefully, soon, we can go out and celebrate all together!”
Have your online dance classes helped keep your spirits up?
“100%. I do group classes every day, and then some private classes too. A thousand people join every day, so that’s cool. And the classes are the only chance I can dress up a bit, so I don’t stay in pyjamas every day.”
What is your morning workout?
“I’m not a gym person. I like running – I like running a lot – so I bought myself a treadmill and do 5k or 10k a day. And then I do some abs workout, just to keep the six-pack in shape!”
Any wellbeing tips?
“I don’t meditate – for me, I meditate watching TV. And for me, the most important thing is to disconnect from work. Work is one thing – and I work a lot and I love work, for me it’s fantastic. But at some point, eight o’clock or whatever time you finish, it’s about disconnection.”
How do you find social media?
“Social media is fantastic, but there is a lot of pressure around it. So I always say to myself: ‘Do you know what? It’s nine o’clock, you spend all day on social media, because people might message me about a dance class or shows, but nine o’clock, put the phone away’.”
What do you eat?
“In the week I eat very healthy and on schedule – then Saturday and Sunday you can have a pizza, a glass of wine.”
What does dancing mean to you?
“Dancing has definitely been all my life. I started dancing when I was seven, and then I moved from home from Sicily to Bologna, after winning a place at a prestigious dance academy there when I was 14. Life changes when you live on your own when you’re 14. So, it’s definitely been all my life, dancing…right now, I can’t see myself doing anything else.”
I didn’t give up because I had a dream
What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
“Never give up, is definitely a thing my first teacher told me when I was a little kid, and definitely stuck with me through life. There are so many times where I could have said, ‘Do you know what? I don’t want to do this any more’, but ultimately I didn’t give up, because I had a dream. And now, today, it’s paid off.”