Strictly row: Star claims needing ‘months of therapy’ after dancing with Giovanni Pernice

Giovanni Pernice has reportedly quit Strictly Come Dancing following allegations allegedly made by three former stars - as well as a male contestant according to recent reports - about the dancer. The BBC star has denied "any suggestion of abusive or threatening behaviour".

He is now reportedly facing further allegations, as another source has stepped forward to claim he had caused someone on the show “significant emotional distress”, leading to “three months of therapy”.

A source told The Sun: “One of the dancers on the show found it so traumatising that they sought professional help. The show is unlike anything else on TV.

“The pressure on those taking part is huge and shouldn’t be under-estimated. But Giovanni’s demanding behaviour behind the scenes took it up a notch and caused significant emotional distress.

"They were so upset by what happened they needed counselling to recover from the toll it took.” Express.co.uk has contacted Giovanni’s representatives for comment. The BBC declined to comment when contacted.

It comes after Giovanni's 2023 partner, Amanda Abbington, claimed training with the dancer led her to be diagnosed with PTSD.

The Sherlock actress, 52, quit Strictly last year, citing “medical reasons” at the time of her departure.

When she posted her farewell statement on social media, she raised a few eyebrows, as she took the time to thank her fellow celebrities and the show’s production team, but didn’t mention Giovanni.

This caused “feud” rumours to start circulating before she later revealed her PTSD diagnosis.

She also requested footage from her training sessions with Giovanni over his behaviour and made a formal complaint to the BBC.

At the time Giovanni, who has been a professional dancer on Strictly since 2015 and won the show with Rose Ayling-Ellis in 2021, broke his silence with a statement on Instagram.

He said: “You will be as surprised as I am that allegations have been made about my dance teaching methods in the media this week.

“Of course, I reject any suggestion of abusive or threatening behaviour, and I look forward to clearing my name.

“Those who have followed my journey on Strictly Come Dancing over the last decade will know that I am passionate and competitive. No one is more ambitious for my dance partners than me.

“I have always striven to help them be the very best dancers they can be. This has always come from a place of love and wanting to win - for me and my dance partners.

“Thank you all once again for your continued love and support!”