Michelle Visage has spoken out about Amanda Abbington’s Strictly ‘feud’ with pro dancer Giovanni Pernice, after dancing with him herself on the show.
The Drag Race star, 55, who took part in the competition in 2019 and came seventh, appeared on This Morning on Thursday where she addressed the criticism surrounding the professional dancer, 33.
Amanda claimed the show left her with PTSD and demanded footage of rehearsals to highlight the Italian’s ‘tense’ and ‘full-on’ training methods after leaving the show for medical reasons in week five.
Michelle, who stars in the West End as Morticia in The Addams Family, said: ‘I’ve danced once a week since I left the show. Giovanni doesn’t want to dance with me. I have a teacher that I have twice a week for two hours. It is mainly Latin. I can take that to Morticia in a four-minute Tango.
‘I don’t like gossip, but what I can say is that he is probably the strongest professional ever. We fought every day, but we got where we wanted to be. We looked good together.’
Michelle Visage has spoken out about Amanda Abbington’s Strictly ‘feud’ with pro dancer Giovanni Pernice, after dancing with him herself on the show
Amanda claimed the show left her with PTSD and demanded footage of rehearsals to highlight the Italian’s ‘tense’ and ‘complete’ training methods
Speaking about her role in the West End, she told presenters Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary: ‘I’ve been inspired by Morticia all my life. She always had something that I loved and aspired to, so it was like a manifestation.”
Amanda left Strictly in week five of October and did not return for the final, where eliminated celebrities took part in a group dance.
The Sherlock star was praised by the judges for her performances on the show, but it was claimed she was struggling behind the scenes.
Following her departure, it was claimed that Amanda struggled with Giovanni’s ‘militant approach to training’, with her time on the show said to be ‘plagued by difficulties’.
An internal source said this The Telegraph: ‘It could be that she didn’t know what she was indulging in.
‘He (Giovanni) was quite tough and she found that difficult. If she wasn’t doing so well, it wouldn’t have helped.’
They continued: ‘She was with a partner who had a certain training style that she couldn’t cope with. I don’t know whether that has come to a head or whether something else is going on.’
It has been reported that she is seeking footage of their rehearsals to substantiate her claims while she seeks legal advice.
The Drag Race star, 55, appeared on This Morning on Thursday where she addressed the criticism surrounding the professional dancer, 33.
Michelle took part in the competition in 2019 and came seventh with Giovanni
‘I don’t like gossip, but what I can say is that he is probably the strongest pro ever. We fought every day, but we got where we wanted to be. We looked good together,” she told Alison and Dermot
Michelle rocked a brown bandeau mini dress, white knee-high tights and brown heels
The Drag Race star will star in the West End as Morticia Addams alongside Ramin Karimloo
Meanwhile, Giovanni recently criticized his teaching techniques.
During an appearance on The One Show late last month, Giovanni was asked about his celebrity partners’ training, to which he said: ‘I’m definitely a perfectionist.’
‘Like everyone else, I like to win. But for me it’s more about getting the best out of partners, especially when I see that there is talent there. I want to do my job well.’
His alleged feuds with 2016 partner Laura Whitmore and 2020 Ranvir Singh have also resurfaced, while 2021 Rose Ayling-Ellis and 2017 Debbie McGee have spoken out in his defense.
Giovanni has previously lifted the lid on his intensive rehearsal schedule.
Speaking to Spencer Matthews on his Big Fish podcast last May, Giovanni, 33, gave insight into his grueling training regime when he revealed that his key to success as a dancer was: ‘Practice, about 20 hours a day.
He continued, “The studio is open 24 hours a day. Well, sleep 18 hours a day and go back to the studio to practice. Lots of lessons.’
Giovanni also credited his can-do attitude and refusal to accept defeat with his success.
The star explained how he feels about losing: “I don’t want to sound cliché, but when you lose, when something doesn’t go your way, I’m one of those people who gets back up, just like Rocky Balboa, one of my idols, you go down, but you get up right away.’