Giovanni Pernice (born 5 September 1990) is an Italian professional dancer based in the United Kingdom, best known for his appearances on the British television show Strictly Come Dancing. He is also an Italian Open Latin Dance Champion (2012), and the Guinness World Record holder for Jive kicks and flicks, as well as Charleston swivels.
Early life Pernice was born on 5 September 1990 in Palermo Sicily, and at the age of 14 he moved to Bologna to concentrate on dance. He chose to become a dancer after watching the British ballroom dance television show Come Dancing. Specialising in Latin style, Pernice has won a number of competitions, most notably, the Italian Open Championship in 2012.
Pernice is a member of the Federazione Italiana Danza Sportiva, part of the World DanceSport Federation, and he competed at Youth and Adult levels between 2007 and 2014. Other notable results include coming second place in the International Open Latin in Slovenia in 2014, and wins in other Open competitions in Pieve di Cento, Italy (2011); Ancona, Italy (2011); San Marino (2011) and Sant Cugat del Vallès, Spain (2011). His competition dance partners include Erika Attisano (2011–2014) and Alexandra Koldan (2014–2015).
Career Strictly Come Dancing
In 2015, Pernice appeared as a professional dancer on BBC's Strictly Come Dancing for the first time in its thirteenth series. He was partnered with former Coronation Street actress Georgia May Foote. They reached the final of the competition but finished as joint runners-up alongside Kellie Bright and her professional partner, Kevin Clifton.
In 2016, Pernice returned to Strictly Come Dancing for its fourteenth series. He was partnered with television presenter Laura Whitmore. They were eliminated in Week 7 in a dance-off with Ore Oduba and Joanne Clifton, the eventual Series 14 champions, and finished in 9th place.
In 2017, Pernice returned to Strictly Come Dancing as a professional dancer for its fifteenth series. His celebrity partner was Debbie McGee, a television and radio presenter and former ballet dancer. They reached the final of the competition, finishing as joint runners-up alongside Alexandra Burke and her professional partner Gorka Márquez, and Gemma Atkinson and her professional partner Aljaž Škorjanec.
In 2018, Pernice competed in the sixteenth series of Strictly Come Dancing, partnered with Steps singer Faye Tozer. For the third time in four years, Pernice reached the final, finishing as joint runners-up alongside Joe Sugg and his professional partner Dianne Buswell, and Ashley Roberts and her professional partner Pasha Kovalev.
In 2019, Pernice was partnered with television and radio personality Michelle Visage for the show's seventeenth series. They reached week 9 of the competition, before being eliminated in a dance-off with Saffron Barker and AJ Pritchard.
In 2020, Pernice reached the semi-final of the eighteenth series with his partner Ranvir Singh, before being eliminated in a dance off with Jamie Laing and Karen Hauer.
In 2021, Pernice won the nineteenth series of Strictly Come Dancing, with EastEnders actress, Rose Ayling-Ellis. Ayling-Ellis was the first deaf contestant to appear on the show. In the series’ Halloween special, Ayling-Ellis and Pernice received the earliest 40 throughout Strictly history with their Tango. The pair also received an 'Unmissables' Award from Heat for the silent moment in their Couple's Choice routine.
In 2022, Pernice was partnered with television and radio presenter Richie Anderson. They were eliminated in week 3, making it the earliest week Pernice has ever been eliminated in.
In 2023, Pernice was partnered with actress Amanda Abbington. On 20 October 2023, it was announced that for medical reasons, Abbington and Pernice would have to miss that Saturday's appearance on the show. She withdrew from the competition three days later.
As a Strictly professional dancer, Pernice holds the record for most tens ever awarded, with a total of 97. He has topped the weekly Strictly leaderboard more times than any other pro in the history of the show. He is also informally known as 'The King of Halloween', as he has topped the leaderboard during Halloween Week for every series he has competed in and still been in the competition during the Halloween Special.
Pernice has also appeared on a number of episodes of BBC Two's Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two. Pernice is the current Guinness World Record holder for Jive kicks and flicks, performing 55 in 30 seconds in a challenge held in December 2016. The next year, in December 2017, he broke the world record for the most Charleston swivel steps in 30 seconds, correctly completing 24. Both records were achieved on It Takes Two with supervision by Guinness World Records.
Complaint and departure In January 2024, The Sun reported that Amanda Abbington had requested footage of her time training with Pernice and was seeking legal advice over his training methods; that month, Debbie McGee shared a post in support of Pernice on X (formerly Twitter). In March 2024, The Sun said that Abbington, Laura Whitmore and Ranvir Singh had met to discuss their negative experiences with Pernice on the show. Legal firm Carter Ruck told BBC News there were "numerous serious complaints" about his behaviour while filming Strictly. On 16 May, it was reported by The Sun that Pernice had quit the show. Pernice denied all accusations of wrongdoing. His departure was confirmed by the BBC on 10 June.
It was reported in September 2024 that the BBC had issued an apology to Amanda Abbington and upheld her complaints of verbal bullying and harassment against Pernice, but rejected allegations of physical aggression. Abbington, known for her role in Sherlock, described the apology as a "vindication" and expressed hope that it would encourage others to speak out.
Pernice, however, maintained that he had always strongly denied any wrongdoing and expressed relief that the more serious accusations were dismissed. The BBC acknowledged that while the production team had taken steps to address the issues, these measures were ultimately deemed inadequate, prompting a review of their internal protocols.
Highest and lowest scoring performances per dance Dance Partner Highest Partner Lowest American Smooth Debbie McGeeRose Ayling-Ellis 39Ranvir Singh 32 Argentine Tango 40 36 Cha-Cha-Cha Georgia May Foote 33 Richie Anderson 23 Charleston Faye TozerGeorgia May Foote 40 Georgia May Foote Debbie McGee 39 Couple's Choice Faye Tozer Rose Ayling-Ellis Michelle Visage 33 Foxtrot Michelle Visage 39 Amanda Abbington 31 Jive Faye Tozer 36 Rose Ayling-Ellis 22 Paso Doble 38 Ranvir Singh 28 Quickstep Rose Ayling-Ellis 39 Ranvir Singh Debbie McGee Rumba Georgia May Foote Debbie McGee 36 Georgia May Foote 27 Salsa Debbie McGee 39 Rose Ayling-Ellis 26 Samba Faye Tozer 37 Richie Anderson 27 Showdance Faye TozerRose Ayling-Ellis 40 Georgia May Foote 36 Tango Debbie McGeeRose Ayling-Ellis 35 Viennese Waltz Faye Tozer Amanda Abbington 29 Waltz Faye TozerRose Ayling-Ellis 39 Georgia May Foote 25
Ballando con le Stelle In September 2024, he was confirmed as a professional partner for Series 19 of Ballando con le Stelle, the Italian version of Strictly, going on to win in December 2024 with his partner Bianca Guaccero. In September 2025, he was confirmed as Francesca Fialdini's professional partner for Series 20, going on to finish 2nd in December 2025.
Strictly Come Dancing Performances
Series Partner Place AverageScore13Georgia May Foote2nd33.814Laura Whitmore9th31.315Debbie McGee 2nd35.416Faye Tozer36.517Michelle Visage7th33.118Ranvir Singh5th31.319Rose Ayling-Ellis1st35.420Richie Anderson14th 27.321Amanda Abbington11th30.5
Series 13: with Georgia May Foote The couple were runners-up. Week No.Dance/SongJudges' scoreTotalResultHorwoodBussellGoodmanTonioli1Jive / "Dear Future Husband"677727No Elimination2Waltz / "Georgia on My Mind"666725Safe3Rumba / "Writing's on the Wall"776727Safe4Quickstep / "Reach"779831Safe5Salsa / "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)"788831Safe6Tango / "Ghostbusters"8999Safe7Samba / "Volare"899935Safe8Charleston / "Hot Honey Rag"9101010Safe9American Smooth / "I Have Nothing"991010Safe10Paso Doble / "The Final Countdown"888933 SafeQuickstep-a-thon / "Sing Sing Sing"Awarded6ExtraPoints3911Foxtrot / "Beauty and the Beast"999936Bottom two12Cha-Cha-Cha / "I Will Survive"Viennese Waltz / "Runaway"89810899103338Safe13Rumba / "Writing's on the Wall"Showdance / "Fix You"Charleston / "Hot Honey Rag"99109910991099103636Runners-Up
Series 14; with Laura Whitmore Due to an ankle injury, Whitmore was unable to dance in week 5 and the couple were given a bye to progress to the next week. The couple were eliminated in week 7. Week No.Dance/SongJudges' scoreTotalResultHorwoodBussellGoodmanTonioli1Cha-Cha-Cha / "Venus"567725None2Waltz / "If I Ain't Got You"8888Safe3Salsa / "Rhythm of the Night"777930 Bottom Two4Quickstep / "The Ballroom Blitz"888933Safe5Jive / "Reet Petite"- - - - -Given Bye6Tango / "Paint It Black"9999Safe7Samba / "Bamboleo"788932Eliminated
Series 15; with Debbie McGee The couple were runners-up.
Week No.Dance/SongJudges' scoreTotalResultHorwoodBussellBallasTonioli1Paso Doble / "Be Italian" 8 8 7 730 No Elimination2Viennese Waltz / "She's Always a Woman" 8 9 9 834 Safe3Quickstep / "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off"687829Safe4Cha-cha-cha / "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)"667827 Safe5Rumba / "Baby Can I Hold You"999 -27Safe6Charleston / "Frankie"9101010Safe7Tango / "I Gotta Feeling"10101010Safe8Salsa / "Can't Take My Eyes Off You"998935Safe9Samba / "Wannabe/Who Do You Think You Are"789933Bottom Two10Argentine Tango / "Por una Cabeza"991010SafePaso Doble-a-thon / "España cañí"Awarded5extrapoints4311American Smooth / "Memory"9101010Safe12Jive / "I'm So Excited"Foxtrot / "Isn't She Lovely"7899999103436Safe13Salsa / "Can't Take My Eyes Off You"Showdance / "One Day I'll Fly Away"Argentine Tango / "Por una Cabeza"9910109101010101010103938Runners-Up
Series 16; with Faye Tozer The couple were runners-up.
Week No.Dance/SongJudges' scoreTotalResultHorwoodBussellBallasTonioli1Cha-cha-cha / "Lullaby" 7 8 7 7 29 No Elimination2Viennese Waltz / "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" 8 8 7 8 Safe3Quickstep / "You're the One That I Want" 9 9 9 9 36 Safe4Rumba / "Chandelier" 7 7 7 8 29 Safe5Foxtrot / "Just the Way You Are" 8 9 8 33 Safe6Jazz / "Fever" 9 10 10 10 39 Safe7Tango/ "Call Me"91091038Safe8Jive/ "Reet Petite"9981036Safe9Paso Doble/ "Unstoppable"99101038Safe10Waltz / "See the Day"9101010SafeLindy Hop-a-thon / "Do Your Thing"Awarded6extrapoints11Charleston/ "The Lonely Goatherd"1010101040Safe12Samba/ "I Go to Rio"Argentine Tango/ "La cumparsita"9991091010103739Safe13Viennese Waltz / "It's a Man's Man's Man's World"Showdance / "Lullaby of Broadway"Jazz / "Fever"101010101010101010101010Runners-Up Green number indicates Faye & Giovanni were at the top of the leaderboard.
Series 17; with Michelle Visage The couple were eliminated in week 9, at Blackpool.
Week No.Dance/SongJudges' scoreTotalResultHorwoodMabuseBallasTonioli1Cha-Cha-Cha / "So Emotional"887730No Elimination2Viennese Waltz / "That's Amore"8888Safe3Quickstep / "Cabaret"899935Safe4Salsa / "Quimbara"788831Safe5Rumba / "Too Good at Goodbyes"777829Safe6Foxtrot / "The Addams Family Theme"9101010Safe7Paso Doble / "Another One Bites the Dust"899834Safe8American Smooth / "I Just Want to Make Love to You"999936Bottom Two9Street / "Vogue"8888Eliminated Green number indicates Michelle & Giovanni were at the top of the leaderboard Red number indicates Michelle & Giovanni were at the bottom of the leaderboard
Series 18; with Ranvir Singh The couple were eliminated in week 8.