Strictly's Giovanni Pernice, who clinched the Glitterball trophy last year for his performance with the show's first ever deaf contestant, Rose Ayling-Ellis, was devastated when he saw Ellie Simmonds, who has dwarfism, get the boot in week seven.
Giovanni was axed very early on after his and Richie Anderson's performance in warthog and meerkat costumes from The Lion King seemed more like comedy than a dance contest to many - but he passionately defended Ellie.Taking to Instagram, he directly responded to Ellie's pro partner Nikita Kuzmin to make it clear how he felt."Way too early!!" he exclaimed, adding: "You guys were a dream to watch!!
Both of you, be proud of what you have achieved."Watching Ellie's success was dear to Giovanni's heart as she won over the nation for weeks while Nikita transformed their routines to work for her - and the Italian pro has his own experience of dancing with someone living with a disability.His 2021 partner, Rose, who says she can sense the music via its vibrations, also chimed in on Instagram to praise and comfort Ellie after her exit."Absolutely love watching you both.
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