Giovanni Pernice steps out for an al fresco lunch as under-fire dancer awaits findings of BBC probe into allegations of ‘abusive and bullying behaviour’ on Strictly Come Dancing

Giovanni Pernice went out with friends on Monday as his former employers at the BBC prepare to publish the findings of an investigation into allegations of misconduct on the set of Strictly Come Dancing.

The Italian ballroom specialist lost his place on the troubled show after former celebrity contestant Amanda Abbington accused him of “bullying and abusive” behaviour when they were together.

Abbington, 50, has now appointed London law firm Carter Ruck to represent her against the BBC, which is currently completing an investigation into claims made by the actress and other former contestants on the show.

Pernice, 33, was spotted looking at his phone outside a London restaurant with two friends while out and about on Monday.

The Sicilian dancer, who has been teaching dance classes since being sacked from Strictly, looked relaxed in a black T-shirt and jogging bottoms as he smoked a cigarette.

Pernice was spotted checking his phone during an outdoor lunch date with two friends outside a restaurant in London

Pernice has been accused of inappropriate behavior during her work as a professional dancer on the show on multiple occasions, with her former celebrity partner Laura Whitmore also recently admitting to speaking to the BBC.

Although she has not yet filed a formal complaint, Whitmore, 39, hopes she will get “just an acceptance” of what happened to her in the rehearsal room.

The former Love Island presenter admitted she spoke to six former Strictly stars about their time on the show and passed their information on to the BBC.

In a post on Instagram, she wrote: ‘I have tried not to comment on recent press speculation until the BBC investigation is complete, but I feel there is a lot of misinformation in the press and I would like to help and show my support by setting the record straight.

‘I was asked to speak to the BBC, along with six people I know (who wish to remain anonymous because they do not want to be trolled by the press), about inappropriate behaviour they have experienced from the same person, similar to mine.

‘I first raised my concerns in 2016. I thought my experience was specific to me, but I’ve since learned I was wrong.

“The purpose of this is to show a pattern of behavior that I believe needs to stop. My evidence is to support other people’s experiences. It’s unfortunate that this is necessary to make someone’s voice heard.

‘I’m not looking for anything, just the acceptance that what happened to me in the rehearsal rooms during my time at BBC Strictly was wrong and that it won’t happen to anyone else again.

The Sicilian dancer chatted with friends on Monday afternoon as she took up a table outside

Pernice, who teaches dance classes after being sacked from Strictly, looked relaxed in a black T-shirt and jogging bottoms as he smoked a cigarette

Pernice is facing multiple allegations of inappropriate behavior while working as a professional dancer on the show

‘Because I have not filed an official complaint and am providing evidence of my experience to support the investigation, not all communications are being passed on to all parties involved.

‘There is misinformation in the press, so I want to set the record straight. Blaming the victim has to stop, otherwise we will never get better.

“I have tried to speak in the right way. I know the BBC and all other media outlets are continuing to do their best to improve, but for that to happen we have to speak out.”

Abbington, his last celebrity partner, quit Strictly last year for “personal reasons” after reports she had requested footage of their rehearsals after the experience in the competition left her with PTSD.

Sources subsequently claimed that the actress, Ranvir Singh and Whitmore had an ’emotional summit’ where they ‘shared experiences’ about working with Pernice on the series, prompting the BBC to launch an investigation into his behaviour.

Pernice and his two friends were sitting on the sidewalk doing nothing while smoking their cigarettes

Strictly was thrown into fresh crisis on Wednesday after Abbington claimed Pernice tried to block the publication of up to 50 hours of “toxic” footage.

The Italian dancer remains hopeful that the findings of a BBC investigation will clear his name

If Pernice is cleared of any wrongdoing, he could potentially regain his place on Strictly.

In 2018, Whitmore claimed she was unhappy on Strictly. After the seventh week, the competition left her feeling “broken” and she admitted she “cried every day”.

The Irish presenter was unhappy about her relationship with her good friend Georgia May Foote’s ex shortly after they split, saying she felt ‘extremely uncomfortable’ dancing with him.

She wrote for The Huffington Post at the time: “I love dancing – I’ve topped the charts twice – but I was thrown into the middle of a breakup that had nothing to do with me. Once again, I was a ‘high-profile love interest.’

‘I was placed with a dance partner that I was extremely uncomfortable with – and I ended up feeling broken, I was crying every day. And I was really broken, both mentally and physically, at the end.’

Strictly found itself in hot water again on Wednesday after Abbington claimed Pernice tried to block the publication of up to 50 hours of “toxic” footage.

The Italian ballroom specialist lost his place on the troubled show after former celebrity contestant Amanda Abbington accused him of ‘bullying and abusive’ behaviour

Former celebrity partner Laura Whitmore recently admitted that she too spoke to the BBC

The former Love Island presenter admitted she spoke to six former Strictly stars about their time on the show and passed their information on to the BBC

In an emotional interview, the actress compared the dance show to “the trenches” and told Channel 4 News that BBC producers were “appalled” by clips that allegedly included “degrading sexual behaviour”.

“There’s 50 hours of footage that’s blocked out. You know, 50 hours is a lot of footage, and a lot of time spent in a room that was toxic,” she told host Krishnan Guru-Murthy.

“It’s out there. There’s evidence of what happened in that room and I’m not the one blocking it. I said everybody can see it, but he (Giovanni) doesn’t want anybody to see it, which is quite telling when he’s got nothing to hide.”

A spokesman for Giovanni told MailOnline: ‘We urge people to wait for the conclusion of the investigation and not to pay attention to these very serious and defamatory allegations, for which there is no evidence whatsoever.’