A clip of Strictly Come Dancing champion Rose Ayling-Ellis comparing her dance partner Giovanni Pernice to a ‘lizard’ has been unearthed, following the shock scandals surrounding him and fellow dancer Graziano Di Prima.
Graziano, 30, was axed from the show last week over reports he verbally and physically abused his celebrity partner Zara McDermott, 27, during last year’s series.
And just weeks earlier, Giovanni, 33, was suspended while a BBC probe is conducted over claims of off-camera misconduct made by Amanda Abbington, 50, and two of his other former partners.
A video of the Italian and Rose, 29, from their time on the show in 2021 shows the EastEnders star commenting on his behaviour during training.
ROSE ‘TALKS’ GIOVANNI
And despite the close bond the two appeared to have shared before winning the Glitterball Trophy, Rose hints that Giovanni can have a temper in rehearsals.
The clip from one of the live shows, sees host Claudia Winkleman chatting to the pair backstage and asking Rose: ‘You have a new name for Gio?’
The actress replies: ‘Yes, we have…crrrk [mimes a Lizard}. Which means, it’s a lizard.’
She explains: ‘A lizard because I do dancing and I get my steps wrong, the lizard comes out, crrrkk! Then if I get the steps right, he calms down.’
Giovanni can be seen smiling beside her and nodding, as he agrees: ‘A lizard’, while Claudia quips: ‘Oh, so he is like… I think it’s a frilled lizard.’
As the pair then discuss their dance for the following week, Rose predicts: ‘I think it will be a full week of crrrk!’ while Claudia adds: ‘Yes! There you go! A week of frilled lizard!’
It comes after The Sun reported that Rose had distanced herself from Giovanni in the wake of the bullying allegations against him from Amanda, despite the two being thought of as very close after their Strictly win.
