Strictly Come Dancing bosses ‘struggling to sign up female’ contestants for 2024 series amid Giovanni Pernice allegations
Strictly Come Dancing bosses are ‘struggling to sign women up’ for the show amid the Giovanni Pernice row.
The professional dancer, 33, has been part of the BBC Latin and ballroom series for almost a decade but is now facing allegations of serious workplace misconduct from previous partners.
The BBC is reportedly sifting through nine years of footage of strictly professional Giovanni’s training as the explosive show scandal continues to rage.
Although Giovanni denies all the claims, it has now been reported that bosses are struggling to convince female celebrities to take part in the upcoming series.
An insider said The mirror: ‘Strictly the bosses have been left reeling by the reaction against Giovanni. One problem it has caused is that the booking team is struggling to recruit female celebrities for 2024.”
Strictly Come Dancing bosses ‘struggle to sign women up’ for show amid Giovanni Pernice row
Although Giovanni denies all claims, it has now been reported that executives are struggling to convince female celebrities to take part in the upcoming series (pictured with his 2023 partner Amanda Abbington)
Some female stars are reportedly ‘reluctant’ to appear on the show due to the Strictly curse – a phenomenon where contestants fall in love with their professional partners – but bosses are now said to be struggling more than ever before when it comes to the recruitment process.
The source added: ‘In the past, some women have been reluctant to sign up because of the Strictly curse, while others have struggled to fully commit on schedule.
‘But this has made booking harder than ever. Some are concerned about their treatment, while others are reluctant to be involved with the show while it is in the shadows.”
MailOnline has contacted Strictly Come Dancing representatives for comment,
It is claimed three former contestants are putting together dossiers to hand to their £700-an-hour lawyers before sending them to BBC bosses.
A number of ex-dance partners, working with renowned law firm Carter Ruck, claim they have photographic evidence showing they suffered injuries.
It is also claimed that Amanda Abbington – one of three stars to have filed complaints against Giovanni – vowed to leave ‘nothing unsaid’ during her meeting with investigators this week.
Presenter Laura Whitmore is also said to have discussed her experiences with Pernice with Amanda Abbington
Although the three celebrities making allegations have not been named, Ranvir Singh, who worked with Giovanni, met with Amanda Abbington to discuss her experiences
When the allegations came to light, Giovanni said: ‘I reject any suggestion of abusive or threatening behavior and I look forward to clearing my name’ (pictured with Amanda)
Bosses at the BBC have reportedly been told he sent a former celebrity dance partner an offensive video clip.
The BBC team were reportedly informed last week that Giovanni, 33, sent the clip via WhatsApp ahead of one of the series’ Saturday live shows.
According to The sunhe did not create the video, he did not commission it, nor did he appear in the video.
Meanwhile, it was recently claimed that when he was working with Sherlock star Amanda – who quit the competition mid-series last year – he demanded their rehearsal sessions be recorded after he became concerned about her ‘unstable behaviour’.