Lisa Armstrong 'shows support' for Giovanni Pernice after his statement on 'abuse' claims

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Strictly Come Dancing's makeup maestro Lisa Armstrong has seemingly thrown her support behind professional dancer Giovanni Pernice following his denial of claims that he was "threatening or abusive" in training sessions with celebrity partner Amanda Abbington.The Italian hoofer, who is rumoured to have stepped down from the BBC dance extravaganza with a pledge to vindicate himself after an internal probe, received a subtle nod of solidarity from Lisa - Ant McPartlin's former spouse - and the show's chief makeup artist as she liked a social media post where Giovanni addressed the allegations.Amanda had allegedly confided to pals about Giovanni's "abrasive" approach during rehearsals, before bowing out of the contest for "medical reasons", reports the Mirror.Now, Giovanni has publicly responded.

On his social media, he penned: "To my dear fans, 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." He added: "I have always striven to help them be the very best dancers they can be.