BBC Strictly Come Dancing star Giovanni Pernice's ITV Lorraine interview dramatically 'backfires'

Giovanni Pernice has been BLASTED by ITV Lorraine viewers after an interview with Christine Lampard today. The BBC pro dancer, who hails from Italy, was in the studio opposite Lorraine Kelly stand-in Christine on ITV from 9am on Tuesday.

Gio addressed the BBC investigation which led to him being axed by Strictly Come Dancing in the wake of Amanda Abbington's complaints. "Sitting there smirking when Christine is reading out the allegations and explaining how he made some women feel is not a good look to say the least," one Twitter, now X user, fumed.

Someone else commented: "This interview hasn't done Giovanni any favors. He comes across arrogant and insincere." And a third rushed to social media to type: "Giovanni smirking after they showed Amanda’s video is disgusting, seriously?"

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And a fourth added: "There is something very arrogant about Giovanni." Speaking to Christine, filling in for Lorraine Kelly, Pernice admitted feeling ‘relieved’ after the ‘difficult’ year he’d had, and said he wanted to ‘have his side of the story heard now’.

He said: "From my certain point of view, I’m relieved the fact that the most serious allegations were thrown out. Yes six has been upheld but 11 hasn’t been upheld, which is again, the most serious were not." Pernice continued: "When it comes to that one upheld we got some allegation of verbal bullying, as we say, I adapt with the person that will go in front of me, and vice versa. I think this is life like this."

"If you’re in the room and we decide one sort of relationship within us too, I feel safe at that time, we were OK with it and was fine. Never been a difficulty of “Please don’t say this to me”. And the other allegation that was me being frustrated, which I recognise," he said.

"So frustration, I think, is something that, when you want to be good, it happens. And I do care about my job," he added, saying: "And when you have somebody in your hands like Amanda, which, in my opinion, she was brilliant, she was unbelievable at dancing, it’s normal that I try to get out the best I can."