‘Teaching someone to dance is so rewarding’
“II’M NOT JUST some Italian stallion, genuinely a wonderful person. you know,” Giovanni Pernice tells She taught me so much about me, his face erupting into a broad awareness of others. grin. He is standing shirtless in perky “She changed my whole pigtails tied with Italian flag ribbons. perspective. We are always We’re backstage in Hayes, west searching for more when London, for the opening night of his Made In Italy we should just truly UK Tour and this Strictly star is on a mission to appreciate what we have. tear up all our assumptions about him. “She helped people see
In the show, he frocks up and brings the roof me differently. down, gyrating around a lucky audience member “For the first time, people to Joe Cocker’s You Can Leave Your Hat On. understood that I’m not just
There are lavish cinematic homages to this Italian lothario – there is a La La Land, musical extravaganzas to Greased real person behind all this.” Lightning, slick patter and even a burst of opera. Last year’s partnership with Richie
“I want it to be a full experience,” Pernice – “Gio” Anderson was considerably less to everyone – says. “Fantastic entertainment. successful, rapidly eliminated in Week More like a musical than just Giovanni from Three. Despite speculation about clashes Strictly doing a waltz and a tango. behind the scenes, Gio remains
“I’m even attempting to sing. philosophical. I don’t make it easy for myself, “I absolutely wanted a male I’m doing Nessun Dorma! partner. John and Johannes Pavarotti! I’m taking singing were fantastic in 2021,” he lessons, I always want to says. “I wanted a learn and be better. The challenge, to create bigger the better. interesting
“I also want to show choreography. my personality, other “But the Hakuna sides of me. Fans always Matata samba say to me afterwards, didn’t connect, it ‘Giovanni, you are funny! didn’t go the way we You have a sense of wanted it to.” humour!’ The Sicilian-born
“I’ve always been like star channelled the that, but I understand why disappointment into a they’re surprised.” passionate male duet in his
From his 2015 debut on BBC new show. “I’m so proud of it,” he One’s all-conquering Strictly Come smiles. “In 2023 people should be Dancing, the Italian had been happy to see two men dancing positioned as struttingly together. competitive, cockily sweeping into “Done properly it is beautiful. It three finals and holding the record is time that we all champion for the most “tens” awarded. diversity and inclusivity.
His touchingly-tender winning 2021 “It is why Strictly is important. Debbie was partnership with the deaf Eastenders actress 59 years old and 15 million people were watching, Rose Ayling-ellis was a major public and personal saying ‘I want to give it a go’. turning point on a show where the Glitterball “They see Rose and think, ‘I can do that’.”
P Trophy moves on and “friend for life” declarations can sound like platitudes. Rose remains a “true friend”, he says. She also inspired Gio, 32, to incorporate a British Sign Language interpreter into the tour. ARTNERS come and go but there is
“People think we fake our relationships with our only one man in Gio’s life. After last dancing partners,” he says. year’s fabulous Him & Me tour with
“But you can see when two people don’t get dancer-turned-judge Anton Du Beke, the duo will along. It was very special with Rose immediately, soon be seen in the upcoming three-part BBC and with Debbie Mcgee in 2017. Rose is travelogue Adventures In Sicily. Gio won’t
confirm his pal’s claim that his downstairs loo is a shrine to him, but happily confesses, “Anton is my Godfather figure.
“He is the biggest influence on me. Other Strictly people asked him to do tours and he said no, but he saw similarities in me and knew we would work together. It was such a privilege.”
Does Anton’s judging position on Strictly cause any stress or accusations of favouritism?
“Never!” Gio quickly replies. “Anton has always said he doesn’t judge me, he judges the celebrity.”
Away from the cameras are they more like father and son, I tease?
“More like big and little brother,” he grins, diplomatically. “We laugh all the time. We are very similar but very different. That is why it works.
“We are different generations. I need him to keep me level and he needs me to show him what social media is.”
Gio chose to become a dancer after watching Strictly’s forerunner, Come Dancing, in his teens.
Training in Bologna, he specialised in Latin style and won the Italian Open championship in 2012.
Going home keeps him level, he says.
“Obviously they see on Instagram that I am famous here, but they don’t understand how big Strictly is in the UK.
“If I go to Sicily tomorrow, the only people who will know me are my Mum, Dad and sister.”
Over here, his fame meant “my private life was suddenly gone” as relationships with Strictly celebrities Georgia May Foote and Ashley Roberts were splashed across the news.
“I understand that is the price we pay to be in the public eye,” Gio says philosophically.
“And I accept that. It doesn’t affect the relationship. We are all still human. But so much in the press is not true.
“My New Year’s resolution is to keep my private life private. I want to close the door at the end of the day and live my own life.”
Reports have feverishly spread that he is now dating 2022 champion Jowita Przystal, but Gio will only politely and firmly say, “I’m not going to talk about my private life to the press this year.”
Jowita is currently with celebrity partner
Hamza on the main Strictly UK tour. None of the professionals will be told whether they are being asked back for the new BBC series until the end of February.
“Strictly changed my life and I am happy to do it for as long as they want me,” Gio says.
“I genuinely love it, love teaching someone that has never danced before. It is so rewarding.”
LIKE EVERYONE, however, he definitely does not love the results show countdown. “It is petrifying. But if I am in the dance-off I just tell my partner, ‘Fight, fight, fight for your place.’”
What about after Strictly, one day?
“You never know what happens in the future. I have always loved musicals. You might see me as Aladdin, Tony Manero in Saturday Night Fever would be nice. My dream role would be The Phantom Of The Opera but I don’t know if I have the stamina for that!”
He might be Made In Italy, but the UK holds part of his heart now.
“Italians are so chilled about everything. London is crazy, always on the go all the time and I like that.”
I point out that we stereotype Italians as crazy drama queens.
“I am the biggest drama queen you will ever meet in your life,” he laughs. “But that is just me! Italians are always leaving everything for later where I want to do it now. I don’t say I feel
British but my friends and my life are here. I miss my family, but this is home.”
Wherever he ends up, that famous Strictly pay-off line at the end of every show will always apply.
“I will always keep dancing,” Gio says. “It is my safe space. It is where I can be myself, whatever is happening in life.
“It is the place where I can express myself without talking, where I feel natural. I focus on my dancing and everything else disappears.
“Life is not perfect but I dance and everything is OK. And if it’s not, then make it better.”
Giovanni Pernice’s Made In Italy Tour continues until May 7. Details at giovannipernice.com