Giovanni Pernice’s dance partner bats his hand away from her waist

This is the awkward moment Giovanni Pernice’s dance partner Francesca Fialdini batted his hand away from her waist.

The pair are competing on Ballando con le Stelle, the Italian version of Strictly, after Giovanni’s abrupt departure from the show following Amanda Abbington’s bullying allegations. 

In a video shared on his Instagram earlier this week, TV host Francesca, 46, moved Giovanni’s hand away after he squeezed her waist following their performance to Queen’s The Show Must Go On.

Realising she didn’t want his hand there, he moved it to her shoulder and said: ‘Oh you’re hurting there too?’ in reference to her injured foot. 

The exchange mirrors a viral moment for last year’s Strictly, which saw Katya Jones, 36, move Wynne Evans’ hand away from her waist and snubbed his attempt at a high-five with her.

Katya said at the time he had been ‘portrayed as someone he is not’ and the pair insisted his ‘wandering hand’ incident was a silly joke. 

Giovanni joined Ballando con le Stelle last year, where he won with his partner Bianca Guaccero, 44. They confirmed their romance after the show. 

The victory took place, months after the professional dancer departed the BBC show following an investigation into his behaviour on set.   

Amanda, 51, left the BBC show halfway through its 2023 edition before accusing the professional of ‘unnecessary, cruel and mean behaviour’ in July last year.

Giovanni rejected the claims immediately and a BBC investigation ruled in September that her claims of physical aggression and threatening behaviour were not upheld.

Complaints of verbal bullying and harassment meant the corporation issued an apology but the dancer said he was ‘pleased the report has not found any evidence of threatening or abusive behaviour’.

Amanda recently reiterated her criticism of Giovanni, as she told White Wine Question Time: ‘I just felt I wasn’t being treated fairly in that room.’ 

In the wake of her accusations, Amanda faced heavy backlash from the public, with the Sherlock star noting that she was subjected to ’20 to 30 death threats a day’

When BBC bosses published their report into Giovanni’s behaviour, it cleared him of the most serious allegations of physical aggression, but upheld verbal bullying and harassment. 

The BBC apologised to the former Sherlock actress and also thanked her for coming forward to raise her grievances. 

Amanda recently admitted she’s unsure if people still ‘like’ her anymore as she opened up on her future following the Giovanni bullying row.

She reflected on the aftermath, remarking that she was made out to be the ‘villain’ in it all, before insisting that she has ‘no regrets’ about standing up for herself.

While Giovanni’s career appears to be back on track, Amanda has thrown herself into a somewhat less high-profile role in the play (This Is Not A) Happy Room – playing to a more intimate audience in a theatre behind a north London pub.

She said in a recent interview she looked forward to the future and told how she would love to continue acting and even turn to directing down the line, but she isn’t sure of the public opinion of her following the tough period in her life.