Giovanni Pernice addresses Strictly exit as he aims subtle 'real people' dig

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Former Strictly Come Dancing professional Giovanni Pernice has made a veiled "real people" remark following the controversy that led to his departure from the show.

Giovanni, who is set to appear on Channel 4's Celebrity Hunted tonight, left the BBC programme amid "numerous serious complaints" about his conduct while training his celebrity dance partners.He has refuted all accusations levelled against him.

The 34 year old Sicilian adopted a defiant stance as he discussed his exit from Strictly on James Phelan's How To Be Famous podcast.He stated: "I'm not going anywhere, I'm not giving up, I'm just taking a rest," and added that his recent tribulations revealed who truly supported him, saying: "It's been a year and you understand who the real people close to you are."He expressed gratitude for the loyalty of a few genuine friends and the backing of his fans. "The audience ...realistically I'm not very close to them, but even a small message or a like on my post on social media or something – it it just will give you the strength to go forward which is is great," Giovanni said.

In an earlier interview, he labelled former dance partner Amanda Abbington's complaints against him as "an attempt to destroy me".