Giovannia Pernice has said he “wouldn’t change” his teaching style after he was investigated over his behaviour when training Strictly Come Dancing contestant Amanda Abbington.
Sherlock actress Abbington pulled out of the BBC One show last year citing “personal reasons”, but later claimed she had been subject to a “toxic environment” and “inappropriate, mean, nasty bullying” at the hands of her professional dance partner Pernice.
The BBC carried out an investigation into the Sherlock actress’s complaints, with the corporation upholding six of the complaints made against Pernice but clearing him of 11.
Appearing on ITV’s Lorraine on Tuesday morning in the Italian dancer’s first TV interview since the results of the probe were released, Pernice said: “From my certain point of view, I’m relieved the fact that the most serious allegations were thrown out.”
“Yes, six has been upheld but 11 hasn’t been upheld, which is again, the most serious were not.”
He continued: “When it comes to that one upheld we got some allegation of verbal bullying, as we say, I adapt with the person that will go in front of me, and vice versa. I think this is life like this.
“If you’re in the room and we decide one sort of relationship within us two, I feel safe at that time, we were OK with it and was fine. Never been a difficulty of ‘Please don’t say this to me’. And the other allegation, that was me being frustrated, which I recognise.”
Pernice, 34, had been on the BBC One celebrity dancing show since 2015 when he reached the grand final with Coronation Street star Georgia May Foote, but left the show following last year’s controversy.
Asked if he will change his style of teaching following the investigation, he told Lorraine: “I wouldn’t change my teaching style because, in my opinion, it’s a profession, dancing is a very difficult thing to do.
“I have achieved four finals, I won the show with Rose [Ayling-Ellis], now I’m breaking records in Italy with Bianca [Guaccero].
“I’ve potentially got all the records on Strictly, but it’s not to blow my own trumpet, I think it’s a difficult discipline, and for me, teaching, the way I teach, is the successful way to approach this.
“Yes, you could change the approach, but not changing the teaching style.”
Pernice, who is not part of this year’s Strictly professional dancing line-up and has since joined the Italian edition, previously rejected “any claim of threatening or abusive behaviour”.
In an interview published by MailOnline on Tuesday, he described Abbington as “a laugh” who told “dark” jokes, adding that they both enjoyed “very rude banter” with one another.
He claimed he had initially been blindsided by her claims of abusive behaviour.
“I've still got [Amanda's] messages,” he told MailOnline. “They say: ‘Thank you so much for your patience today, you're an incredible teacher,’ so I just thought it was all great.”
But he became aware Abbington had been complaining to other members of the show, and said he began to film their training sessions.
“I asked for chaperones and cameras in the room,” he said.
“I started to record myself on my phone. Obviously we were dancing and I wanted to see the video back but at the same time, I did it to protect myself. I told the production team I was doing it because I didn't feel comfortable in the room, I didn't feel safe.
“At that point, I didn't think she was going to accuse me of anything - but she was saying one thing to me and something else to others on the WhatsApp group. She was telling two different versions of the story. They told me not to [film rehearsals] any more but that they were going to do it instead.
“They sent someone in with a camera and people to watch.”
When Abbington went public with her accusations, Pernice said he was frequently brought to tears and feared the allegations would destroy his career.
“I rang my parents up crying,” he told MailOnline. They are the closest people to me. They were asked if their son was a bully.
“Everyone got upset, that made me upset. There were so many tears of frustration and sadness.”
When, in a TV interview with Channel 4, Abbington alleged some of the bullying was “of a sexual nature”, Pernice said he had “wanted to punch the television”.
“I didn't watch it,” he told MailOnline. “I couldn't watch the interview because I was thinking, ‘Why would you talk on live TV when we've both been asked not to talk about it?’ he said.
“My Sicilian blood would rise up and I'd think, "This isn't the truth" - but I had to remain silent .
“It was the first time there was talk of anything sexual. Of course, I was worried it could destroy my career - the people that come to my shows are kids and women. I was painted as a person I am not. It seemed like the only point was to destroy me.”
The BBC report cleared Pernice of violence and physical abuse and said he did not make threats and was not intimidating.
However, it did find moments of “inappropriate behaviour of sexual banter in the workplace” plus the use of swear words and “belittling, dismissive and insulting” language.
Last month, the BBC said: “We have assessed the complaints and we have upheld some, but not all, of the complaints made. We want to apologise to Amanda Abbington and to thank her for coming forward and taking part. We know this would not have been an easy thing to do.
“At the time, although the production team took steps to address the issues as they understood them, ultimately these were not enough. This is why the measures we have taken to further strengthen our existing protocols are so important.”Afterwards Pernice posted a video online saying he was “happy” to finally be able to draw a line under a “difficult time”.
The show returned on September 14 for its 20th anniversary with a new cast of celebrities, and some changes including having chaperones present “at all times” during rehearsals.
Abbington said the BBC’s apology was a “vindication of my complaint”.
“Despite this vile abuse, I've never regretted coming forward, and today's apology from the BBC is a vindication of my complaint,” she said at the time.
“It's not just a vindication for me, it's a vindication for the other people who have contacted me since I made my complaint to express concerns about their own experiences on Strictly Come Dancing. I hope those who have felt unable to speak out now will be more confident that they will be listened to and believed.”
