Giovanni Pernice was a picture of positivity as he took to the stage on Wednesday evening for the latest date in his successful solo dance show.
The 33-year-old was met with raucous applause and cheers as he embraced the crowd in Aberdeen in Scotland, just hours after his former BBC Strictly partner Amanda Abbington had issued an emotional statement on Instagram.
Abbington and Pernice have been embroiled in a frosty spat ever since the Sherlock star quit the BBC dance competition prematurely last year.
Since her exit, it had been reported that Abbington had sought legal action in regards to her time on the show after claiming to have been left with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) after working with Pernice.
Pernice's future on the BBC show has been the subject of debate ever since, especially since other former partners reportedly reached out to Abbington to share similar complaints, but the corporation has reportedly thrown its backing behind the dancing pro.
In the latest twist in the saga, Abbington took to Instagram to plead with people to stop the "relentless" abuse and headlines written about her after a scene in a comedy show which showed her shouting at another person was taken out of context.
Amanda Abbington hit out at 'relentless' abuse on Instagram on Wednesday
INSTAGRAM/AMANDA ABBINGTON
Pernice hasn't publicly reacted to Abbington's statement, which comes after months of seeing their feud play out in the newspapers, but instead remained upbeat as he boasted about his "sold out" crowd in the Scottish town.
In a clip shared on Instagram with the lights turned down in the auditorium, Pernice said to his followers: "So we're in Aberdeen tonight in Scotland and obviously, one of the most gorgeous places in Scotland."
Ripples of laughter emerged from the crowd who were covered in darkness before Pernice went on: "But unfortunately, even tonight, nobody came to watch the show!"
The lights then came back on to show the packed theatre as audience members began to cheer, wave and clap to show their support for the dancer.
Amanda Abbington had danced with Giovanni Pernice in Strictly 2023
BBCPernice even gestured towards the crowds to emphasise just how raucous the applause was before he managed to say: "Aberdeen! What would we like to say?! Thank you, thank you, thank you. I love you!"
The BBC Strictly star often records similar videos during his stage shows but on Wednesday, he made the point of bragging about selling out the tour date.
Abbington, on the other hand, has returned to social media to share a podcast clip following her statement on Wednesday evening.
In her plea on Wednesday, Abbington began by referencing her appearance in a new comedy show: "Meet the Richardsons was an acting job.
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Giovanni Pernice relished the chance to perform in front of a sold-out crowd on Wednesday
INSTAGRAM/GIOVANNI PERNICE/GETTY
"I’m an actress. That’s my career. I’ve cultivated my career for 31 years. I would never treat anyone like that in real life. Obviously.Am
"I’m posting this because some folks seem to think it newsworthy."
She then went on to allude at the wider range of headlines she's found herself the subject of as she continued: "If you could just leave me alone for a bit, that would be lovely.
"Loads of other stuff going on in the world. It’s all feeling pretty relentless."
