Giovanni Pernice could face more trouble as it has been claimed "one or two more celebrities are considering legal action" against him after his former partner Amanda Abbington claimed she had PTSD after their time together.
Last year, Abbington suddenly quit the show after five weeks and claimed that it was due to Pernice's harsh training techniques and became "too much" during their rehearsals.
She later asked Strictly bosses if she could obtain the videos of their rehearsals and claimed that the Italian dancer had stepped on her, prompting her to leave after a string of incidents.
Since Abbington came forward, The Sun has claimed that several more women who have danced with the 33-year-old are contemplating joining the three existing claims which have come from Abbington, Laura Whitmore and Ranvir Singh.
A source claimed that several partners have been communicating privately and suggested that even more names could come forward and revealed: "Numerous celebrities, all former partners of Gio's, have been in contact with one another behind the scenes.
"Three women that we know of have come forward, and taken things a step further with legal action. But Carter-Ruck, the prestigious firm acting on behalf of these stars, has quietly been speaking to one or two other potential claimants.
"In other words, more names could come out of the woodwork."
They went on to say that the future is unclear for Pernice, who vehemently denies any claims of threatening or abusive behaviour and has vowed to "clear his name."
The news of more former partners comes after the star announced that he had quit Strictly after it all became "too much" and said in a statement on his Instagram: "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.
Laura has previously spoken about her time with the Italian dancer
BBC
"No one is more ambitious for my dance partners than me. I have always striven to help them be the very best dancers they can be. This has always come from a place of love and wanting to win - for me and my dance partners.
"Thank you all once again for your continued love and support!" (sic)
Since the star's statement, friends close to Abbington have commented on how she found the pro dancers "abrasive" and would have to have "crisis talks" with show bosses every week after being left in floods of tears at his "tough" training methods.
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Giovanni recently left the BBC dancing competition
BBC
According to OK! magazine, the BBC's official statement regarding the claims read: "The professional dancers for 2024 will be announced in due course."
However, according to The Sun, the Beeb were reportedly "very keen" to keep Pernice as part of the line-up.
GB News has contacted the BBC and Pernice's representatives for a comment.
