Giovanni Pernice says 'never say never' to Strictly return after Amanda Abbington scandal

Professional dance ace Giovanni Pernice hinted at a potential comeback to Strictly Come Dancing during a chat with Christine Lampard, saying "never say never" despite the recent "bullying" controversy involving Amanda Abbington.

Giovanni joined Christine on ITV's Lorraine to give his account of the events after Sherlock star Amanda Abbington accused him of "bullying" and occasional aggression.

The BBC undertook a thorough internal investigation into Amanda's grave accusations, concluding that while some claims of verbal bullying and harassment were substantiated, the allegations of physical aggression were not supported.

The Italian dancer was eager to present his perspective and express his "relief" at being exonerated from Amanda's charges that he had been "threatening and abusive" which were ultimately dismissed as baseless.

In June, the BBC disclosed that Giovanni, a Strictly fixture since 2015, would be excluded from the 2024 season's line-up. However, following his clearance from the more severe accusations, there might be a glimmer of hope for his return, reports the Mirror.

As their revealing interview came to a close, Christine posed one final query to the professional dancer: "Will we see you back on Strictly Come Dancing?"

Visibly uncomfortable, Giovanni shifted in his seat before responding to Christine: "I think at the moment I am just very very focused on Dancing With the Stars Italy."

Giovanni revealed his plans to return to England next year, hinting at a busy schedule but not dismissing future opportunities. "I've got a tour coming up in January so I will definitely be coming back to the UK from January to July, who knows, never say never," he said.

In the same interview, Giovanni acknowledged that while he may have felt "frustrated" with Amanda at times, it was only because he recognised her "brilliant" abilities and aimed to encourage her to display her "full potential and talent".

He also firmly denied ever being "aggressive" towards the actress and expressed relief that the channel's complaints procedure and review had concluded.

Speaking to Christine, Giovanni discussed the allegations and the outcome of the review: "First of all the investigation didn't find me to be a bully and that's exactly why I feel relieved now and it's important to put that straight because 'bully' is a big word."

Lorraine is on ITV1 weekdays at 9am and ITVX