Strictly's Shirley Ballas defends 'gentleman' Giovanni Pernice amid Amanda Abbington 'row'
Strictly Come Dancing's Shirley Ballas addressed Giovanni Pernice and Amanda Abbington's reported feud during an appearance on Lorraine.
Lorraine: Shirley Ballas defends Giovanni
Shirley Ballas has spoken out amid the alleged row between Strictly stars Giovanni Pernice and Amanda Abbington. On Monday the 63-year-old appeared on ITV's Lorraine and spoke highly of Giovanni when quizzed about the pair.
Lorraine Kelly brought up their reported row that has hit the headlines over the past few weeks. She said: “All this stuff as you well know about Giovanni, clearly there were some problems with his partner last year.
“It’s been very well documented. There’s been an investigation, it’s fine. The professionals do want to win, don’t they? They want to win. They want to get the best out of their partners.”
Shirley then responded: "I mean, I have known Giovanni for many many many years. He is an absolutely splendid teacher.
"My only ever experience of him is an absolute gentleman. You know he serves the show well, and he gives 100 percent.”
Lorraine added: “Sometimes partnerships do not work, you see it everywhere," to which Shirley agreed and added: “You know, these shows, like Strictly, they are big shows.
“You sign up for a show like that, you know what you are getting into, it’s been on the screen for 20-odd years. It is quite a difficult show."
Last week, it was claimed that Amanda had requested footage of her rehearsals with Giovanni and was seeking legal advice.
She also told The Sun that she had been diagnosed with "mild PTSD" and had received death threats after quitting the show in Week Five.
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A spokesperson added: “Strictly Come Dancing has always taken duty of care incredibly seriously and there is a constant dialogue between senior members of the production team and the contestants to ensure any concerns are addressed swiftly.
“Strictly has a proud track record as a joyful, positive experience where robust support and assistance is always made available at every stage of the production,” the statement, obtained by The Mirror read.
Neither Amanda nor Giovanni have publicly addressed the alleged row.