Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima could have reunion on Strictly spin-off

Months after leaving Strictly Come Dancing, there is a major clue that professional dancers, Giovanni Pernice and Graziano di Prima could be set to reunite.

The popular BBC series returned on Saturday night with a brand new group of celebrities, including Towie’s Pete Wicks, comedian Chris McCausland, and Love Island contestant Tasha Ghouri, all competing for the glitter ball trophy. 

But while some of the fan-favourite professional dancers returned, others were noticeably absent.

Giovanni, 34, and Graziano, 30, announced their departure from the show earlier this year following shock allegations of ‘bullying’ and ‘abuse’.

The allegations first came to light in May after Giovanni abruptly quit the show over claims made by his former dance partner, Amanda Abbington, who accused him of ‘bullying’ and ‘abusive’ behaviour. He has denied all of the allegations.

The claims prompted a three-month internal investigation into the alleged incident, though the BBC has yet to release the findings to the public.

Soon after, in July, it was revealed Graziano had departed from Strictly after allegations he was ‘physically and verbally abusive’ towards his former dance partner, Zara McDermott.

The Strictly professional apologised for his actions, with his spokesperson telling BBC News: ‘There is never a time when kicking, or any sense of that is right and he knows that’.

He added: ‘He knows he’s made a mistake. He apologised at the time.’

BBC took drastic action after the departures of Giovanni, their longest-serving male dancer who joined in 2014, and Graziano, who joined in 2018. In a statement, it announced it would introduce ‘practical steps’ to support welfare, including chaperones in rehearsal rooms.

Neither professional dancer will return to the hit UK show this year. However, that doesn’t mean their TV dancing careers are over or possibly their friendship.

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It was announced last week that Giovanni had returned to Italy, where he signed on to compete in Ballando con le Stelle – the Italian version of Strictly – something his friends claim is ‘sweet revenge’.

And one of his new co-stars has a very close relationship with one of his old co-stars.

Graziano’s wife, Giada Lina, is also participating as a professional dancer on the show, meaning there could be a reunion between the two former Strictly dancers either at the show or behind closed doors.

Giada shared the news with her fans last week, posting on Instagram a picture of the line up, along with the captions: ‘Finally I can officially announce that I will be part of the cast of the masters of @ballandoconlestelle 2024 for my 4th season.’

It’s unclear whether the dancers have reunited already. However, Graziano was spotted on Saturday meeting his wife at the Ballando con le Stelle studios in Rome, marking the first time he has been seen since leaving Strictly in July.

He wore a white Diesel t-shirt and green camo shorts with his hair pulled back to show off his small hoop earrings.

Giada also kept her look casual, wearing a white crop top and blue patterned shorts with her blonde hair pulled into a tidy bun on top of her head.

The couple put on a very united front as they shared kisses and hugs on the street.

Ballando con le Stelle, which translates to Dancing with the Stars, launched in 2005 – one year after Strictly Come Dancing.

The series is filmed in a theatre at the RAI Auditorium at the Foro Italico in Rome, meaning Giovanni will spend most of this winter away from his London home, while Graziano is said to have relocated to Italy to rebuild his life.

Strictly Come Dancing airs every Saturday on BBC One and Player.

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