EX Strictly Come Dancing star Giovanni Pernice has teased “exciting news” with his fans while celebrating his birthday.
Giovanni took to social media to mark turning 34 while also gushing about his mystery forthcoming project.
The professional dancer’s cryptic post comes amid an investigation into the practises of Strictly Come Dancing and alleged abuse behind the scenes.
Giovanni was accused of backstage bullying by actress Amanda Abbington and the results of the probe are due any day now.
But the Italian star seemed in good spirits despite the investigation looming and logged into Instagram to update fans.
Alongside a suave shot of himself, Giovanni said: “30+4 today !! thank you so much to all of you for the messages…
“I do appreciate your love and your endless support!”
He added: “Better days to come and exciting news to share with you very soon love you all Gi.”
Giovanni’s fans were quick to send their good wishes, with one follower telling him: “Wishing you the happiest of birthdays Gio xx.”
Another added: “Wishing you a very Happy Birthday Gio and exciting days to come! My love and support always xx.”
And a third wrote: “Wishing this gorgeous Italian stallion a very happy 34th birthday.”
Giovanni’s special day fell just 24 hours after Strictly Come Dancing attempted to brush off the abuse scandal by releasing a new trailer.
In a first look at the new series, which begins on September 14, this year’s professionals are all smiles while dancing onboard a glitzy bus.
With the 20th anniversary on the horizon, the cast seem more energetic than ever as they attempt to get the nation excited about the series again.
The likes of Nikita Kuzmin, Gorka Marquez, Dianne Buswell, Johannes Radebe, and Neil Jones all beamed while dressed in their signature bright costumes.
Amy Dowden can also be seen making her big return to Strictly following her treatment for stage three breast cancer.
Not missing any little details for the anniversary milestone, the number plate of the huge model bus reads ‘Brucie’, in tribute to the original host Sir Bruce Forsyth.
Strictly Come Dancing's scandal has been growing over the past few months, with several major players speaking out about what went on. Here are the key moments of what's happened so far
16th May: Giovanni Pernice sensationally quits Strictly Come Dancing after nine years on the show.
17th May: Giovanni becomes the centre of an official investigation after three former partners – believed to be Amanda Abbington, Laura Whitmore and Ranvir Singh – make complaints to the BBC.
16th June: Giovanni releases an official statement vowing to clear his name and denies any wrongdoing.
8th July: Strictly confirms Aljaz Skorjanec will return to the series, replacing Giovanni, after initially quitting the show two years ago.
10th July: Amanda Abbington launches fresh legal proceedings to get the rehearsal footage from her time with Giovanni, after allegedly he refused to release the videos.
13th July: Graziano Di Prima is axed from Strictly for “gross misconduct” after footage of his treatment of Zara McDermott is brought to the attention of the BBC.
Graziano quickly broke his silence, apologising for his behaviour in a statement and saying he “deeply regrets it”, adding his “intense passion and determination to win might have affected his training regime.”
15th July: Strictly bosses implement new duty of care protocols, including having a chaperone present throughout all rehearsals.
16th July: Zara McDermott speaks out publicly for first time. She states while the production team were “amazing to work with”, she found the rehearsal room “completely different”, confirming there’s footage of “certain situations”.
19th July: Anton Du Beke is put under the spotlight for his “1970s attitude” and treatment of female celeb stars, particularly after allegedly referring to 2009 partner Laila Rouass as a “p***” after getting a spray tan.
21st July: Paralympian Will Bayley, who has limb condition arthrogryposis, revealed he was encouraged to leap from a table during a dance routine, despite fears. The stunt caused an injury that forced him to withdraw from the show.
22nd July: MasterChef’s Gregg Wallace admits he broke down in tears and got a nasty stress rash on his face during his time on Strictly in 2014.
22nd July: Despite ongoing issues, the Strictly professional cast begin rehearsals for this year’s series.
23rd July: Celebrity agent Melanie Blake claims she was sexually assaulted by an unnamed pro dancer while backstage on the show, and claims she witnessed ageism, rudeness and a rough treatment to the point of injury.
23rd July: Strictly is forced to beef up security after ‘an intruder scales the wall of the rehearsal studio’.
23rd July: BBC boss Tim Davie breaks his silence on the ongoing allegations against Strictly, saying he is ‘deeply sorry’, adding: “Hundreds of people, be they pros, contestants or crew have been part of it and had a brilliant experience.
“At the same time if someone thinks there was something wrong or they want to talk about their experience then of course we want them to raise that with us. Be in no doubt we will take it seriously, listen and deal with it as appropriate.”
24th July: Strictly 2023 star Krishnan Guru-Murthy holds a bombshell interview with Amanda Abbington on Channel 4 news, where she claims she was bullied, with some of the ‘humilation being of a sexual nature’.
27th July: Laura Whitmore releases a statement regarding her Strictly experience, saying “I thought my experience was specific to me but I’ve since learned I was wrong”.
She adds she is not part of the official complaint, but has come forward to support Amanda with the BBC, alongside others.
28th July: Laila Rouass speaks out against the accusations regarding Anton Du Beke, saying she “never felt pressured” by him and “personally insisted on six to seven hours training a day”.
10th August: Graziano breaks his silence on his Strictly axe, saying “these vile, false allegations have ruined my life.”
He also told of the “shocking” end to his friendship with Zara McDermott.
We also revealed that Amanda Abbington was also quizzed for a second time as Strictly execs recruited 15 new staff to monitor rehearsals.
11th August: Just as the investigation was expected to conclude, Amanda made a dramatic intervention. Giovanni was on the brink of being cleared until Amanda handed in more text messages.
24th August: Graziano Di Prima called in top lawyers to sue the BBC and to try to clear his name. He recruited big hitters Whitestone Chambers to fight his corner.
A source said: “They’ve also looked at his BBC contract and believe there are grounds to sue.”
Meanwhile, the BBC also delayed releasing the findings of the probe into Giovanni Pernice. The Sun revealed that the results of the three-month investigation were unlikely to be announced in August.
Giovanni is not taking part after quitting Strictly earlier this year.
Graziano Di Prima was also sacked from the show after he admitted to kicking celeb partner Zara McDermott.
The BBC is said to be racing against the clock to complete the investigation before the new series begins.
A source told The Sun this week: “The BBC is under huge pressure to get this probe done and dusted before September 14 when the new series kicks off.
“It’s a ticking time bomb to get it done in time while not leaving any stone unturned.
“All evidence has been reviewed, and it is looking like we are now days away from an announcement.”
